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Ukraine in maps: Tracking the war with Russia Ukraine in maps: Tracking the war with Russia
(14 days later)
Ukraine's counter-offensive is continuing its slow progress, but developments in the country were overshadowed by reports that the man who led the recent mutiny against Russia's military leadership had been killed in a plane crash in Russia. Ukraine claims to have breached Russia's first line of defences in the southern Zaporizhzhia region as its counter-offensive continues to make slow progress against Moscow's forces.
Here are the latest developments:Here are the latest developments:
Ukraine has made further advances in and around a village in the south-eastern Zaporizhzhia region, which analysts say is "tactically significant" Ukraine has continued its counter-offensive near Bakhmut and claims to have breached Russia's first line of defences in the Zaporizhzhia region
Russian drone and missile strikes against Ukraine have continued, with at least seven killed when a missile hit a theatre in the northern city of Chernihiv Russian drone and missile strikes against Ukraine have continued, with at least 16 killed in a daytime attack on a street market in the eastern city of Kostyantynivka
Russia has again accused Ukraine of being behind continuing drone attacks on its territory, with three people killed in the border region of Belgorod It has also maintained drone attacks on Ukraine's River Danube ports, damaging the country's grain export infrastructure
'Tactically significant' advances Ukraine 'gaining momentum'
Ukraine has continued counter-offensive operations, and made further gains in and around Robotyne in south-eastern Zaporizhzhia and to the west of the nearby village of Verbove. Ukrainian generals claim they have breached Russia's formidable first line of defences in the south, as the counter-offensive launched earlier this summer may be poised to gather pace.
Analysts at the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) say the advances are "tactically significant" and are "widening the Ukrainian breach of Russian defensive lines in the area and threatening Russian secondary lines of defence". One of Ukraine's top generals in the south, Brig Gen Oleksandr Tarnavskiy told Britain's Observer newspaper his troops were "between the first and second defensive lines", while an adviser to the defence minister said: "Little by little, I think we're gaining momentum."
The ISW says Ukraine's advance through Robotyne and its potential liberation will stop Russia using it as a base for counterattacks, making it easier for Ukrainian forces to launch offensive operations against the Russian secondary line of defence that runs south of Robotyne to the western outskirts of Verbove. The focus of Ukraine's counter-offensive effort in recent weeks has been an expanding bridgehead around the tiny village of Robotyne, some 56km (35 miles) south-east of the city of Zaporizhzhia, with gains reported to the south of the village and to the west of nearby Verbove.
A successful advance through Russian defensive lines is likely to need a widening of the initial breach to stop Russian forces from cutting off Ukraine's attacking force, the analysts add. Ukrainian forces raised the country's flag over Robotyne last month, and are now trying to widen the gap to allow larger infantry and armoured units to pass through without coming under Russian fire.
Ukraine's forces are now believed to be within about 1.25 miles (2km) of Russia's secondary lines of defences - mainly comprising anti-tank ditches and obstacles known as dragon's teeth - and may be less heavily mined than some other areas. Analysts suggest the second and third defensive lines may not be quite as robust as the first.
Trent Maul, from the US Defense Intelligence Agency, says there is a "realistic possibility" that Ukrainian forces will break through the entire Russian defence in southern Ukraine by the end of the year.
The battle for BakhmutThe battle for Bakhmut
Ukrainian forces have also continued operations around what is left of the city of Bakhmut - which has endured some of the heaviest fighting of the war and has been under Russian control for several months.Ukrainian forces have also continued operations around what is left of the city of Bakhmut - which has endured some of the heaviest fighting of the war and has been under Russian control for several months.
However, both sides claim to have repelled attacks against their forces and it appears that neither side has advanced significantly. Analysts at the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) say geolocated footage suggests Ukraine has made marginal gains north-west of the village of Klishchiivka to the south of the city and east of Orikhovo-Vasylivka to the north.
Missile hits theatre Missile hits shopping area
Russia has continued its missile and drone attacks on Ukraine, with an attack on 19 August killing at least seven people including a six-year-old girl. Meanwhile, Russia has continued its missile and drone attacks on Ukraine, with an attack on 6 September killing at least 16 people including a child.
Fifteen children were also among almost 150 people injured after a missile hit a theatre in the northern city of Chernihiv, which is about 30 miles (50km) south of Ukraine's border with Belarus. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the "deliberate" attack on Ukraine's "peaceful city" of Kostyantynivka, which is about 17 miles (27km) from Bakhmut.
Although it was besieged by Russian troops in the first few months of the invasion, it was liberated by Ukraine more than a year ago and is hundreds of miles from the front line. It was one of the worst attacks on Ukrainian civilians since the spring, and took place in a busy street at about 14:00 local time (12:00 BST) as people flocked to market stalls and cafe terraces.
The theatre had been hosting a gathering of drone manufacturers, Chernihiv's acting mayor Oleksandr Lomako told the BBC. Officials in Russia have not commented on the attack. They have previously denied targeting citizens as part of their offensive.
He accepted Russia's target was a "military event" but added: "It is clear that the Russians launching those missiles and those giving them orders in the middle of the day to the civilian city realised that the victims will be primarily civilians. Drone attacks on Danube ports
"There is no other way to interpret it than a war crime against civilians, yet another Russian war crime." Russia has also intensified nightly drone attacks on Ukraine's River Danube ports, threatening to choke off one of Kyiv's vital economic lifelines - grain exports.
The theatre's roof was badly damaged but none of those hurt were in the theatre when the missile hit. Moscow began to focus its drone attacks on the Danube ports after pulling out of the internationally brokered Black Sea Grain Initiative in mid-July, arguing that Russia's own agricultural exporters were being disadvantaged.
Drone attacks in Russia The initiative was designed to give safe passage to ships carrying grain to global markets.
Meanwhile, three people were killed by a suspected drone attack in the border region of Belgorod in Russia and a skyscraper in Moscow was damaged in another suspected drone attack on 23 August. Since Russia pulled out, only a handful of vessels, none of them carrying grain, have been able to sail from Ukraine's Black Sea ports such as Odesa.
A suspected drone attack also left one of Russia's flagship Tupolev Tu-22 bombers ablaze at an airbase south of St Petersburg this week. The UK's Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) says 65% of Ukraine's grain exports are now going from the ports of Izmail and Reni, on the Danube. The grain is then transported by river and canals into the Black Sea, via the Romanian seaports of Sulina and Constanta.
According to Russian media reports monitored by BBC Verify, there have been more than 160 suspected aerial drone attacks this year in Russia and in Russian-controlled territory in Ukraine. In theory it is safer, as vessels entering the Black Sea from the mouth of the river immediately enter Romanian territorial waters.
There have also been about a dozen sea drone attacks on Russian targets in the Black Sea, including on naval bases and the Crimean bridge. Since the River Danube forms part of Ukraine's border with Nato, Russia's attacks have an added geopolitical dimension.
Although Ukraine hasn't claimed responsibility for specific drone strikes, President Volodymyr Zelensky has previously said that attacks on Russian territory are an "inevitable, natural and absolutely fair process". At least one Russian drone has been filmed exploding across the river from Izmail, inside Romania - although Bucharest initially denied it.
Prigozhin plane crash Romania eventually admitted that some Russian drone fragments had been found on its side of the river.
However, President Zelensky has denied that Kyiv had anything to do with the plane crash in which Wagner mercenary group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin is presumed to have died along with nine others. The BBC's international affairs correspondent Paul Adams says the government in Bucharest, which has strongly condemned Russia's attacks on Ukraine's Danube facilities, doesn't want the incident to get out of hand.
The crash between Moscow and St Petersburg on Wednesday overshadowed most other developments in the war and came less than three months after Prigozhin led an armed mutiny, sending Wagner forces marching on Moscow. Russian drones threaten Ukraine's economic lifeline
The mutiny ended after Russia's President Vladimir Putin said Wagner fighters could either join the regular Russian army or go to Belarus with Prigozhin as part of a deal negotiated by Belarus's leader Alexander Lukashenko.
Mr Putin sent condolences and paid tribute to Prigozhin on Thursday, but stopped short of definitively confirming he was dead, and the Kremlin has said allegations that it gave an order to kill Prigozhin were "a complete lie."
Although Wagner was Russia's most effective fighting force in Ukraine, with its troops successfully taking the eastern cities of Soledar and Bakhmut after bloody battles, many analysts do not believe Prigozhin's death will have much impact on the war.
Emily Ferris, from the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) defence think tank, says most Wagner troops have been out of action since the mutiny, with most either in Belarus or having joined the Russian army, and it is unlikely many will return to the battlefield at least in the short term.
What now for Wagner after Prigozhin's reported death?
More than a year of fightingMore than a year of fighting
Russia's invasion began with dozens of missile strikes on cities all over Ukraine before dawn on 24 February 2022.Russia's invasion began with dozens of missile strikes on cities all over Ukraine before dawn on 24 February 2022.
Russian ground troops moved in quickly and within a few weeks were in control of large areas of Ukraine and had advanced to the suburbs of Kyiv.Russian ground troops moved in quickly and within a few weeks were in control of large areas of Ukraine and had advanced to the suburbs of Kyiv.
Russian forces were bombarding Kharkiv, and they had taken territory in the east and south as far as Kherson, and surrounded the port city of Mariupol.Russian forces were bombarding Kharkiv, and they had taken territory in the east and south as far as Kherson, and surrounded the port city of Mariupol.
But they hit very strong Ukrainian resistance almost everywhere and faced serious logistical problems with poorly motivated Russian troops suffering shortages of food, water and ammunition.But they hit very strong Ukrainian resistance almost everywhere and faced serious logistical problems with poorly motivated Russian troops suffering shortages of food, water and ammunition.
Ukrainian forces were also quick to deploy Western supplied arms such as the Nlaw anti-tank system, which proved highly effective against the Russian advance.Ukrainian forces were also quick to deploy Western supplied arms such as the Nlaw anti-tank system, which proved highly effective against the Russian advance.
By October the picture had changed dramatically and having failed to take Kyiv, Russia withdrew completely from the north.By October the picture had changed dramatically and having failed to take Kyiv, Russia withdrew completely from the north.
More than a year since the invasion, Ukraine is now hoping its latest counter-offensive can turn the war in its favour.More than a year since the invasion, Ukraine is now hoping its latest counter-offensive can turn the war in its favour.
By David Brown, Bella Hurrell, Dominic Bailey, Mike Hills, Lucy Rodgers, Paul Sargeant, Alison Trowsdale, Tural Ahmedzade, Chris Clayton, Kady Wardell, Mark Bryson, Zoe Bartholomew, Sean Willmott, Sana Dionysiou, Joy Roxas, Gerry Fletcher, Jana Tauschinsk, Debie Loizou, Simon Martin and Prina Shah.By David Brown, Bella Hurrell, Dominic Bailey, Mike Hills, Lucy Rodgers, Paul Sargeant, Alison Trowsdale, Tural Ahmedzade, Chris Clayton, Kady Wardell, Mark Bryson, Zoe Bartholomew, Sean Willmott, Sana Dionysiou, Joy Roxas, Gerry Fletcher, Jana Tauschinsk, Debie Loizou, Simon Martin and Prina Shah.
About these mapsAbout these maps
To indicate which parts of Ukraine are under control by Russian troops we are using daily assessments published by the Institute for the Study of War with the American Enterprise Institute's Critical Threats Project. To show key areas where advances are taking place we are also using updates from the UK Ministry of Defence and BBC research.To indicate which parts of Ukraine are under control by Russian troops we are using daily assessments published by the Institute for the Study of War with the American Enterprise Institute's Critical Threats Project. To show key areas where advances are taking place we are also using updates from the UK Ministry of Defence and BBC research.
The situation in Ukraine is often fast moving and it is likely there will be times when there have been changes not reflected in the maps.The situation in Ukraine is often fast moving and it is likely there will be times when there have been changes not reflected in the maps.
Related TopicsRelated Topics
Russia-Ukraine warRussia-Ukraine war
Volodymyr ZelenskyVolodymyr Zelensky
RussiaRussia
Vladimir PutinVladimir Putin
UkraineUkraine