<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Ukraine's generals say they have "broken through" Russia's first line of defence in the south.</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We've assessed how far Ukrainian forces have really progressed, and what signs there are of further breakthroughs along the frontline.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ukraine began its big counter-offensive in early June to push Russian forces back from land they seized. It attacked at three points along the 600-mile-plus (965km) frontline.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The area to the south-east of the city of Zaporizhzhia is by far the most strategically important.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Striking out in this direction towards the Sea of Azov, if successful, could cut off Russia's supply lines that connect the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don to Crimea.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">There hasn't been much progress on this front, except for the area around the villages of Robotyne and Verbove in the Zaporizhzhia region, as seen highlighted in purple in the map above.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">If Ukraine can sever this main supply route then Russia will find it all but impossible to maintain its huge garrison in Crimea which it annexed in 2014.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Despite significant obstacles, there are now confirmed sightings of Ukrainian troops breaching Russia's defensive structures along the southern front.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We have verified nine social media videos along the frontline near Verbove.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Four of the videos show Ukrainian forces breaching Russian defences north of Verbove.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">However, these show incursions, not that Ukraine has managed to take control of the area.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">So far it has only been Ukrainian infantry getting through, and we're not seeing Ukrainian armoured columns pouring through, exploiting the gap and holding the ground taken. BBC</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd/kh</div>