The newspaper also obtained information from anonymous Ukrainian officials, who reportedly said that reserve units, trained and equipped by the West, will try to break through Russian fortifications around Tokmak. If successful, they will move further toward Melitopol. Both towns are located in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
"Their goal is to sever the so-called land bridge between Russian-occupied Ukraine and the Crimean peninsula, or at least advance far enough to put the strategically important peninsula within range of Ukrainian artillery," the New York Times reported.
According to the plan Ukrainian officials shared with journalists, this campaign should take up to three weeks.
These reports are corroborated by intensifying combat along the southern front. Russia has also reported fierce battles in the region.
On July 26, Ukraine’s General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces managed to repel all Russian attempts to regain control over the village of Robotyne in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, located 20 kilometers away from Tokmak.
At the time, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said that the Ukrainian military is continuing its advance into the Berdyansk and Melitopol directions.
As of July 24, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have liberated nearly 230 square kilometers of territory from Russian occupation, including over 192 square kilometers in the southern part of the country and approximately 35 square kilometers in the east.