Main strike of Ukraine's counteroffensive to be landed in Zaporizhzhia front – NYT

The Ukrainian military command has informed Washington of a new phase of the Defence Forces' counter-offensive. Source: New York Times with reference to US anonymous officials  Details: The New York Times noted that Ukrainian officials had told US officials that reinforced Ukrainian groups would attempt to advance south through Russian minefields and other fortifications to the city of Tokmak, and, if successful, to Melitopol.

Their goal is to break the so-called land bridge between the Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories and the Crimean peninsula, or at least advance far enough to put the strategically important peninsula within range of Ukrainian artillery.

The New York Times pointed out that Russia seized Crimea in 2014 and now uses it as a base for its Black Sea Fleet and to supply its forces in Ukraine's south. The new Defence Forces operation, if successful, could take one to three weeks, Ukrainian officials told Washington. However, little has gone according to plan since the counteroffensive began in early June, and officials at the White House and Pentagon said on Wednesday that they were watching the increased activity with great interest.

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"This is the big test," one US official said. 

The main strike of Ukraine's nearly two-month-long counteroffensive is the country's southeast, where thousands of reinforcements, many trained and equipped by the West and until now held in reserve, are pouring into the fierce battle, two Pentagon officials said on Wednesday. Overall, the Zaporizhzhia front is one of the three axes of the Ukrainian counter-offensive. One of Ukraine's military goals is to reach the Sea of Azov, driving a wedge between the Russian-occupied territories in southern and eastern Ukraine.

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