The Telegraph: Ukrainian Elite Brigade Breaks 'Surovikin Line' And Takes Verbove

The AFU have accelerated its advance towards Melitopol.

The Ukrainian military has broken through a section of Russia's main defence line on the southern front.

The Telegraph reports that troops from the 82nd Airborne Assault Brigade have advanced to the western outskirts of the village of Verbove in the Zaporizhzhia region.

"This means they have broken through the 'Surovikin line', a system of mines, barriers and trenches set up by the former commander of the Russian invasion to prevent a Ukrainian counter-offensive," the publication notes.

The Russians also confirm this. In particular, the so-called "war correspondents" published a one-minute video of artillery fire on Ukrainian paratroopers from an elite brigade armed and trained by Britain during the fighting in the forest on the outskirts of Verbove.

The video was circulated after Ukraine said its counter-offensive had made 'progress' in two areas on the front line in Zaporizhzhia.

Emil Castehelmi, an open-source intelligence analyst at the Blackbird Group, said the progress was localised and did not indicate a "rapid collapse of Russian defences", but added that "it looks bad for the Russians".

Ukrainian forces are slowly advancing south and west of Robotyne, a village retaken from Russian control this week. This indicates that Kyiv is trying to deepen and expand its offensive in the area. To reach the outskirts of Verbove, Ukrainian forces had to overcome a series of "dragon's teeth" anti-tank barriers and trenches that form Moscow's first line of defence near Zaporizhzhia.

Western analysts speculate that the breakthrough may have been limited to infantry units on a reconnaissance mission outside the main defences. On Tuesday, it was reported that fighting had reached the early stages of the "Surovikin line" near Verbove.

The village has become a potential target in Ukraine's advance towards the Sea of Azov, as it is an integral part of the defences.

Ukrainian generals want to break through the line to reach the coastal town of Melitopol, cutting Russia's land bridge and severing the lines of communication between its forces in the east and south of the country.

It is unclear whether Ukrainian forces will attempt to capture the village or continue to move around it to extend their flanks. A comparison of satellite images from early and late August shows that Russia has made no effort to reinforce its defences around Verbove.

But the village could become a significant obstacle because it lies in a valley where Russian forces control the surrounding heights.

The AFU's 82nd Airborne Assault Brigade recently joined the counter-offensive as part of the second echelon of forces to be deployed to break through Russia's fortified defences. The brigade, which includes experienced frontline units for the offensive, has been trained by the British and is equipped with Challenger 2 main battle tanks and Stryker infantry fighting vehicles. However, this equipment has not yet been seen in any video from the front.

Separate offensives by Ukrainian forces east of Novoprokopivka have also been reported as part of the offensive. The Ukrainians advanced by fortifying positions, firing artillery at identified enemy targets and conducting counter-battery actions.