Ukraine's counteroffensive makes progress as 35th Brigade's tanks roll into Urozhaine

New maps published on August 13, Sunday by the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) think tank showed the territorial progress made by Ukraine’s marine brigades - country's best and most aggressive forces - during the ongoing counteroffensive which has entered the third month. Ukraine's forces have made significant gains in the east and south as UA Marine Corps’ 35th Brigade's tanks rolled into Urozhaine’s three main north-south roads. 

With the help of Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter jets air support, Ukraine's forces have managed to capture Urozhaine. They are now attempting to push down the Mokri Yaly River Valley towards Mariupol and the Black Sea. The fighter jets are equipped with American-manufactured GPS-guided JDAM-Extended Range bombs. By flying the MiG-29 fighters extremely low, Ukraine's forces evaded the Russian air defense systems, managed to extend the 500-pound or 1,000-pound  bombs' range by 50 miles or more and attacked the Russian entrenched positions.

Twin Ukrainian JDAM strike on a Russian strongpoint in Urozhaine, Donetsk Oblast. pic.twitter.com/L9OsHRfKSc

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) August 11, 2023

_{Ukraine’s MiG-29 modified to carry winged JDAM-ER GPS-guided glide bomb that is commemorating Ukraine Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Valerii Zaluzhnyi’s birthday. The message reads "Happy anniversary, Valerii Fedorovych! The best gift is dead Russians!"Credit: Ukraine Air Force.}

Ukraine's forces also launched drone strikes on Russian border regions as they destroyed the Russian strongholds to the south in Urozhaine. At least four front-line brigades of Ukraine including the 35th have now concentrated along a 10-mile-wide stretch of the southern front forcing the Russian troops to retreat.

^{JDAMs attached on the inboard pylons of Ukrainian MiG-29. Credit: Ukrainian Air Force}

'Half of Russian brigade is busy drinking alcohol'

Pro-Kremlin military bloggers blamed the loss of the town on Russia’s 37th Brigade tank forces who “refused” to support infantry, claiming that “half of the Russian brigade is busy drinking alcohol in the rear, and the officers are not able to bring them to their senses”. Ukraine's military is planning to break through the heavily defended town of Staromlynivka and reach Mariupol. Here, they plan to cut Russian forces in half leaving the troops to the south solely reliant on Crimea for resupply of ammunition and equipment.

Ukraine is attempting to sever Russia's supply lines on the 2014 annexed peninsula as they attacked the Kerch Bridge earlier yesterday with drones. Russia's military meanwhile claimed that it downed one modified S-200 Ukraine that was fired towards the Crimean bridge. Ukraine has been trying to capture the village in Donetsk for several days as they resort to using the smart bomb--Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM)-- on the aircraft that were shipped to Kyiv in March. Some Su-27 Flankers were also modified to carry AGM-88 HARM anti-radiation missiles, and the Su-24 Fencers are used to launch the Storm Shadow cruise missiles on the Russian positions.