(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Ukraine Invasion Day 534: further degrading Russian forces creates opportunities for breakthrough [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2023-08-11 Russia’s necessary practice of conducting lateral redeployments to key sectors of the front will likely further weaken Russian defensive lines in aggregate, as both Russian and Ukrainian operations are fixing Russian units to certain sectors of the front. Ukrainian forces made tactically significant advances in western Zaporizhia Oblast amid continued counteroffensive operations on at least three sectors of the front on August 11. Geolocated footage published on August 11 confirms that Ukrainian forces reached the northern outskirts of Robotyne (10km south of Orikhiv) in western Zaporizhia Oblast, though the permanence and extent of these positions are currently unclear. [1] Ukrainian forces have conducted regular ground attacks towards Robotyne for weeks as part of their operations aimed at degrading Russian defenses. The Ukrainian forces’ ability to advance to the outskirts of Robotyne — which Russian forces have dedicated significant effort, time, and resources to defend — remains significant even if Ukrainian gains are limited at this time. Geolocated footage published on August 11 shows that Ukrainian forces advanced into Urozhaine (9km south of Velyka Novosilka) along the Donetsk-Zaporizhia Oblast border area. ... ] The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces continued counteroffensive operations in the Bakhmut, Berdyansk (Donetsk-Zaporizhia Oblast border area), and Melitopol (western Zaporizhia Oblast) directions. [3] x Pundits on Russian state TV claimed that Russia's invasion of Ukraine is a war of liberation to free the Ukrainians (whom they described as slaves and zombies) from Americans (whom they described as a nation of dotards, cretins and idiots).https://t.co/104ZY0FShW — Julia Davis (@JuliaDavisNews) August 12, 2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive operations appear to be forcing the Russian military to laterally redeploy Russian forces defending in western Zaporizhia Oblast, indicating that the Ukrainian effort there may be significantly degrading Russian defenses…. Elements of the 58th Combined Arms Army’s 42nd Motorized Rifle Division (Southern Military District) have been the primary Russian formation defending immediately south of Orikhiv since the start of the counteroffensive, with elements of the 22nd and 45th Separate Guards Spetsnaz (Russian General Staff Main Directorate) brigades and the 810th Naval Infantry Brigade (Black Sea Fleet) supporting Russian defensive operations in the area. [5] The arrival of the 7th VDV Division and the Akhmat elements to the Robotyne area represents the first explicit commitment of new Russian formations and units to the area. Russian forces conducted another series of missile strikes in Ukraine on August 11 and targeted a Ukrainian airfield for the second time in the last week. Ukrainian military sources reported that Russian forces launched four Kinzhal missiles and that Ukrainian air defenses intercepted one missile over Kyiv Oblast. [26] The Ukrainian Air Force claimed that the other Kinzhal missiles struck near the Kolomyia airfield in Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast. [27] ...Russia’s targeting of the Starokostyantyniv and Kolomyia airfields in the past week suggests that Russian forces are increasingly concerned about Ukraine’s interdiction campaign. www.understandingwar.org/... Key Takeaways: Ukrainian forces made tactically significant advances in western Zaporizhia Oblast and reached the outskirts of Robotyne amid continued counteroffensive operations on at least three sectors of the front on August 11. Ukrainian counteroffensive operations appear to be forcing the Russian military to laterally redeploy Russian forces defending in western Zaporizhia Oblast, indicating that the Ukrainian effort there may be significantly degrading Russian defenses. Russia’s necessary practice of conducting lateral redeployments to key sectors of the front will likely further weaken Russian defensive lines in aggregate, as both Russian and Ukrainian operations are fixing Russian units to certain sectors of the front. The further degradation of defending Russian forces creates opportunities for any Ukrainian breakthrough to be potentially decisive. Russian forces appear to be intensifying offensive operations northeast of Kupyansk, likely to draw Ukrainian forces away from more operationally significant areas of the front. Russian forces conducted another series of missile strikes in Ukraine on August 11 and targeted a Ukrainian airfield for the second time in the last week. Russian sources claimed that the Wagner Group appears to be maintaining a presence at its facilities in Belarus, though the status of its rumored withdrawal to Russian remains unclear. The Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD) is struggling with significant personnel shortages, especially in occupied territories in Ukraine, amid a broader power shift between other Russian internal security organs. The Kremlin and Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) are likely attempting to deflect blame for Ukrainian shelling in Russian border areas onto mid-level officers. Russian forces conducted offensive operations along the Kupyansk-Svatove-Kreminna line, near Bakhmut, on the Avdiivka-Donetsk City line, and in the Donetsk-Zaporizhia Oblast area on August 11 and advanced in some areas. Ukrainian forces conducted offensive operations on at least three sectors of the front on August 11 and advanced in the western Donetsk-eastern Zaporizhia Oblast border area and in western Zaporizhia Oblast. The Russian defense industrial base (DIB) has begun producing “Geran-2” drones, a modified version of the Iranian-produced Shahed-131/136 drone that will likely enable Russia‘s ability to maintain or potentially increase the frequency of Russia’s drone strikes on Ukraine. Russian occupation authorities are taking steps to make the upcoming regional elections in the Russian occupied territories appear to be fair and competitive. www.understandingwar.org/... x ⚡️ WAR IN #UKRAINE - AUG 11 Equipment losses slightly below 7-day average in dollar terms DEVELOPMENT: $1.9B in the last 30 days ⬆ $59M reported today ⬆ Tanks & air defence systems account for the better part of today's reported losses 📈 https://t.co/M4tk8uqEJF pic.twitter.com/AunyUDH2eZ — Ragnar Gudmundsson 🇮🇸🇺🇦 ragnarbjartur@masto.ai (@ragnarbjartur) August 11, 2023 Russian Subordinate Main Effort #1 – Luhansk Oblast (Russian objective: Capture the remainder of Luhansk Oblast and push westward into eastern Kharkiv Oblast and northern Donetsk Oblast) Russian forces continued offensives operations northeast of Kupyansk and reportedly advanced on August 11. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian forces conducted unsuccessful offensive actions near Synkivka (9km northeast of Kupyansk) and Ivanivka (21km southeast of Kupyansk). [40] The Russian MoD claimed that elements of the Russian Western Grouping of Forces continued offensive operations along a wide front in the Kupyansk direction and improved their tactical situation near Vilshana (15km northeast of Kupyansk) and Pershotravneve (21km east of Kupyansk). [41] Russian sources claimed that Ukrainian forces conducted counterattacks northeast of Kupyansk but did not advance on August 11. The Russian MoD reported that Russian forces repelled Ukrainian counterattacks near Synkivka and the Mankivka tract (15km east of Kupyansk). [43] Russian forces continued offensive operations along the Svatove-Kreminna line on August 11 but made no confirmed gains. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian forces conducted unsuccessful offensive operations near Nadiya (15km west of Svatove) and south of Novoselivske (15km northwest of Svatove). [44] www.understandingwar.org/... www.understandingwar.org/... Russian Subordinate Main Effort #2 – Donetsk Oblast (Russian Objective: Capture the entirety of Donetsk Oblast, the claimed territory of Russia’s proxies in Donbas) Ukrainian forces conducted offensive operations near Bakhmut but did not advance on August 11. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces continued offensive actions in the Bakhmut area. [49]… Russian forces conducted offensive operations near Bakhmut and made some advances on August 11. Geolocated footage published on August 11 indicates that Russian forces advanced southwest towards the Berkhivka reservoir (6km northwest of Bakhmut). [52] www.understandingwar.org/... The Russian MoD claimed that Ukrainian forces conducted offensive operations along the Avdiivka-Donetsk City line but did not advance on August 11. The Russian MoD claimed that Ukrainian forces unsuccessfully attacked near Nevelske (14km southwest of Avdiivka), Staromykhailivka, Malynivka (24km northwest of Bakhmut), and Vesele (5km northeast of Avdiivka). [55] Russian forces conducted offensive operations along the Avdiivka-Donetsk City line and slightly advanced on August 11. Geolocated footage published on August 11 indicates that Russian forces made marginal advances north of Staromykhailivka (19km southwest of Avdiivka). [56] The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Russian forces conducted unsuccessful offensive actions near Avdiivka, Marinka (on the western outskirts of Donetsk City), Krasnohorivka (23km southwest of Avdiivka), and Novomykhailivka (10km southwest of Donetsk City). [57] www.understandingwar.org/... Russian Supporting Effort – Southern Axis (Russian objective: Maintain frontline positions and secure rear areas against Ukrainian strikes) Ukrainian forces continued offensive operations in the Donetsk-Zaporizhia Oblast border area and advanced on August 11. Geolocated footage published on August 11 shows that Ukrainian forces advanced into Urozhaine (9km south of Velyka Novosilka)... The Russian “Vostok” volunteer battalion, which is reportedly defending Urozhaine, acknowledged that Ukrainian forces pushed Russian forces back by a few unspecified streets in Urozhaine. [64] www.understandingwar.org/... www.understandingwar.org/... The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced that the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) will transfer reactor no 4. from a hot shutdown to a cold shutdown and reactor no. 6 from a cold shutdown to a hot shutdown to repair a water leak from a steam generator. [75] Ukrainian nuclear energy agency Energoatom reported that Russian occupation authorities transferred reactor no. 4 to a hot shutdown state in breach of Ukrainian guidelines, resulting in the leak. [76] The IAEA also reported that the main external power line to the ZNPP experienced two interruptions during the day on August 10. [77] The Ukrainian Ministry of Energy reported that Russian forces shelled the power line and caused the power disruption. [78] www.understandingwar.org/... x The head of the cyber department of Ukrainian intelligence agency SBU gave me more details about a recent attempt by Russian forces to penetrate military operation planning systems like Delta. (It was a long interview, stay tuned for more!) https://t.co/2hymIPujsc — Jenna McLaughlin (@JennaMC_Laugh) August 11, 2023 x So, the “fund Hawaii, not Ukraine” talking point has a lot of characteristics of a coordinated campaign that turned “organic” after seeding the narrative. These are a few examples. pic.twitter.com/cJwQvjQp92 — Caroline Orr Bueno, Ph.D (@RVAwonk) August 12, 2023 x Four people described as accomplices to the pro-Russian politician Viktor Medvedchuk have been found guilty of conspiracy to stage a coup in Ukraine. A Ukrainian court sentenced all four defendants to prison terms ranging from five to 10 years.https://t.co/VtxU8JhJtC — Anders Åslund (@anders_aslund) August 11, 2023 [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/8/11/2186640/-Ukraine-Invasion-Day-534-further-degrading-Russian-forces-creates-opportunities-for-breakthrough Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/