Key parts of the frontline – can Ukraine break through in Zaporizhzhia or cross the Dnipro river?

Ukraine’s counteroffensive is now into its fourth month. Kyiv’s forces, bolstered by Western tanks and weapons, are placing strain on Russian positions however have but to attain a serious breakthrough.

But all throughout Ukraine, there’s a sense that issues may change in a short time. A piece of defences may collapse, and fortunes may flip.

Sky News spoke to navy knowledgeable Sean Bell concerning the completely different elements of the frontline and the way every might be a flashpoint, from crossing the Dnipro within the west to the push to liberate Bakhmut within the east.

We’ve zeroed in on 5 places and ask, is that this the place the struggle might be determined?

Can Ukraine break by way of in Zaporizhzhia?

The southern battle-zone within the Zaporizhzhia area is maybe probably the most talked about a part of the struggle in the mean time.

Bell says this so-called land bridge between Crimea and the Donbas is “the least hard place” for Ukrainians to liberate probably the most territory.

Ukrainian forces are slowly however steadily pushing south however are arising in opposition to defensive emplacements that Russia has spent months constructing.

The Surovikin line, named after a Russian basic, extends by way of the world, a triple layer of defences comprising an anti-tank ditch, dragons’ tooth obstacles after which defensive positions in trenches.

If Ukrainian forces are in a position to pierce by way of in Zaporizhzhia and attain the coast of the Sea of Azov – or at the very least get shut sufficient to hit the remaining territory with artillery – it could successfully minimize Russian forces in half.

“If they can break through all those defences then suddenly there could be a rout of Russian forces in that land bridge,” Bell says.

There has been proof to this point through the counteroffensive that Ukraine has been protecting a lot of its Western tanks and best-trained troops in reserve, ready for a breakthrough someplace alongside the road.

Now, it appears, a few of these tanks are being despatched in to struggle within the battle for Zaporizhzhia.

“You are never sure what will be the chink that will break the dam, you will never know until the crack emerges and the floodgates open.

“The query is whether or not the Ukrainians then have the stamina and the morale and the tools to make the most of it.”

Encircling a ruined city – and pinning down Russian forces

The city held out for so long. Waves and waves of Russian soldiers – many of them conscripts and former prisoners – were sent against Ukrainian defences and again and again Bakhmut held.

It was a controversial decision to keep defending the city, and there were many in the West who argued it was a mistake, but in the end it allowed Ukraine to inflict huge casualties on Russia and allow Kyiv time to get hold of Western tanks.

Russian forces, in particular Wagner Group mercenaries who are no longer involved, took the city at great cost.

Bakhmut doesn’t exist as a metropolis in the way in which it did earlier than. Months of fixed shelling by Russian forces have raised it to the bottom.

It has little strategic worth, however as a propaganda piece it’s large for Vladimir Putin.

Now, Ukraine is gaining floor round it. Could Bakhmut be liberated?

Bell says: “Bakhmut is one of those iconic places and Russia made a big thing of taking it, lost tens of thousands of lives taking it and will not want to lose it again.

“Most of the studies are the Ukrainian progress quite than Russian, nevertheless it would not really feel like there’s any momentum in the mean time.

“Ukrainian pressure there is all designed to fix Russian forces in place.”

Is Russia pushing again in Kharkiv?

One of the principle efforts of Russian forces – other than holding again Ukrainian advances – is attempting to take territory within the northeast, close to Kharkiv.

Ukraine had nice success in that area final 12 months, finishing up gorgeous advances round Kharkiv metropolis.

Not solely did they purchase helpful respiratory area for the ‘Hero City’, they liberated swathes of territory, together with Kupyansk and Izium.

Now Russian troops are looking for to reverse a few of these positive aspects.

“The lines of communication there are very short for the Russian forces,” Bell says.

This is due to how shut issues are to the Russian border. Unlike in different elements of Ukraine, it is a lot simpler for Russia to resupply and talk with its troops within the Kharkiv area.

In latest weeks they’ve claimed to have made advances, and preventing has been fierce and bloody.

Bell provides: “Russia has not been effective at conducting offensive operations since the start of the war – and that was when they had mercenary support with the Wagner Group.

“So it is no nice shock that the Russian navy are struggling to make progress.”

Crossing the Dnipro while Russia is busy elsewhere

One of the least talked about areas of the frontline is the River Dnipro, near the city of Kherson.

When Ukrainian forces swept through the region and liberated the city last year, the water became the new boundary between them and Russian forces.

This, Bell says, is why Russia blew up the Nova Kakhovka dam in June this year, sending torrents of water over the landscape.

“By blowing the Kakhovka dam that basically said ‘right Ukraine you are not going to be able to cross the Dnipro and we are going to leave it relatively unprotected’.”

That could have been true a couple of months in the past, however the land is beginning to dry out, presenting a chance for Ukraine.

“It’s a lot more accessible now and almost certainly isn’t the Russians’ main focus,” Bell says.

“It leaves them vulnerable down that flank.”

There are even studies that Ukraine has managed to land troops on the opposite aspect of the Dnipro.

But whereas that’s progress for Kyiv, it is not the identical as establishing a beachhead from which they will deploy tanks and heavy weapons.

Bell in contrast it to D-Day, when the Allies managed to ascertain management over a piece of French seaside in June 1944 and held it till they might get armour on the bottom and push outwards.

But he added that the extra Ukraine places strain on Russian forces there, the extra Kremlin commanders should reckon with a tough alternative: weaken their forces elsewhere to shore up the Dnipro, or threat a breakthrough throughout the water…

Drones, explosives and raids on Crimea

While it is not on the frontline, Ukraine has actually introduced the struggle to Crimea in latest months.

Wave after wave of maritime drones are harassing Russian ships within the space, the Kerch Bridge has been hit a number of occasions and Ukrainian particular forces have reportedly struck on the peninsula itself.

Crimea is dwelling to Vladimir Putin’s prized Black Sea Fleet and is of large strategic worth attributable to its location on the Black Sea.

It has been in Russian fingers because it was annexed in 2014 however Volodymyr Zelenskyy has vowed to return it to Ukraine.

Still, it’s extremely closely fortified and can be very tough to seize by drive. Indeed, within the Second World War the Axis forces led by Nazi Germany misplaced 30,000 males in pursuit of Crimea.

So why is Ukraine attacking it? Because placing apart the prospect of seizing the territory, it helps their forces elsewhere.

Bell says “Ukraine has made clear its intent to take it, and what that does is it forces Russia to keep forces back to protect it.”

Russia may need 150,000 troopers in Ukraine, but when it places all of them on the frontline then there isn’t a one to defend Crimea if Kyiv’s forces make a breakthrough.

“The more that Ukraine threatens Crimea, the more Russia has to protect it and take its forces away from the frontline.”