AFU continue counteroffensive on at least four sectors of front, info about losses of equipment exaggerated - ISW
Ukrainian troops on June 9 continued counteroffensive operations in at least four sectors of the front, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports.
"Ukrainian officials stated on June 9 that Ukrainian forces advanced 1.2 kilometers in continued offensive operations near Bakhmut on June 8. Ukrainian forces continued limited counteroffensive operations in western Donetsk region near the Donetsk-Zaporizhia regions border on June 9, and made tactical gains in the area. Ukrainian forces also continued ground attacks in western Zaporizhia region overnight from June 8 to 9 and during the day on June 9," the report reads.
"Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged on June 9 that the Ukrainian counteroffensive recently began and noted that Ukrainian forces still have offensive potential, a departure from previous Kremlin efforts to downplay Ukrainian counteroffensives… Contrarily, much of the Russian information space prematurely claimed that the Ukrainian counteroffensive has failed after Russian forces damaged more Western-provided Ukrainian military equipment on June 9," ISW said.
"Ukrainian officials directly acknowledged that Ukrainian forces expect to suffer equipment losses during counteroffensive operations. Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar stated on June 9 that losses are expected during combat operations and that “military equipment that cannot be destroyed” has yet to be invented. Maliar added that Russian sources are heavily amplifying footage of Ukrainian equipment losses for informational effects," the report states.
"ISW previously assessed that Ukrainian forces appear to have committed only a portion of their available reserves for current counteroffensive operations, and that the existing reports of damaged Western-provided equipment are not a definitive measure of current Ukrainian combat power. Ukrainian crews of these armored vehicles, who are far more valuable than the vehicles themselves and can remount new or repaired vehicles, likely survived and withdrew once the vehicles became immobilized," it notes.
"Russian and Ukrainian forces conducted limited and localized ground attacks south of Kreminna. Russian forces continued ground attacks near Bakhmut and on the Avdiyivka-Donetsk city line. Ukrainian forces continued limited ground attacks on the administrative border between Donetsk and Zaporizhia regions and in western Zaporizhia regions," the report states.
