Ukraine will need to be cunning – and patient – in its push to break through Russia’s defensive lines

Any kind of gains Kyiv makes in pushing back the forces of Vladimir Putin is a positive, writes Askold Krushelnycky in Ukraine. But it is brutal work

Ukrainian troops on the frontline near Zaporizhzhia (Reuters)

The advance of Kyiv's troops against Vladimir Putin's forces on Ukraine’s bloody frontlines will be welcomed by Western allies, after weeks of having to scrap for every inch gained.

The suggestion of some in Ukraine’s military that units have punched through a section of Russia’s first defensive line in the southern region of Zaporizhzhia, as part of the longer-term aim of reaching the Azov Sea to sever the land bridge from Russia to southeastern Ukraine, may therefore be greeted with cautious optimism. It is not like there haven’t been other suggestions of progress in the region in recent days, not least from White House officials.

But there is a reason why the Ukrainian government has been cautious about claiming any major successes from the outset of its campaign in June, with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky having previously warned that the campaign would not play out like a fast-paced Hollywood movie. Instead, he said, it would involve a slow, steady slog with many casualties for his forces.