Breakthrough Of Southern Front: AFU Come Close To Novoprokopivka

Russian elite units are degrading.

The Russian army's elite units continue to degrade on the Southern Front under the pressure of Ukrainian Defence Forces attacks, which have likely already reached the outskirts of Novoprokopivka, analysts at the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) report.

"Degraded units of the 42nd Motorised Rifle Division of the Russian Federation's 58th Combined Arms Army are increasingly counterattacking near Novoprokopivka, which suggests that Ukrainian counteroffensive operations may have led to the degradation of the relatively more elite Russian airborne units that were responsible for counterattacks in the area," the analysts wrote.

It is noted that during early to mid-August, Russian forces moved parts of the more elite 7th and 76th Airborne Divisions to the Orihiv direction, and their counterattacks near Novoprokopivka suggest that the Ukrainian offensive has reached the outskirts of the settlement.

"The Russian command risks making the already degraded units of the 70th and 71st Motorised Rifle Regiments incapable if they actively use these units to repel the Ukrainian offensive near Novoprokopivka," the ISW report said.

In addition, it is reported that units of the 42nd Motorized Rifle Division are still deployed in Tokmak, which indicates that the Russian command has not staffed the multi-echelon defence in southern Ukraine and obviously the number of Russian forces on the subsequent lines of defence will be much smaller.

"It is quite possible that undetected elements of other Russian units and formations are holding ground in their rear defence positions, although the current readiness of Russian forces to hold positions on the front line indicates that this is unlikely," the analysts said.

In addition, inter-ethnic tensions between Russian units in the front line and in the rear of western Zaporizhzhia region are growing. As ISW notes, this could also threaten the integrity of the Russian defence and the cohesion of the units amid Ukraine's recent successes in the area.