the slow advance of Ukrainian troops in the south of the country

A few hours of rest in this undergrowth for these Ukrainian soldiers engaged on the southern front of the country, like Roman. “The artillery is constantly operating” he says. Together with his comrades, they managed to break through the first and strongest Russian line of defense. Two weeks ago, the village of Robotyne was retaken from the Russians. A village of around a hundred houses on the road to the Sea of ​​Azov.

>> Ukraine: follow the latest news live

Despite this victory, the fighting does not weaken: “There are tanks, mortars, it never stops, describes Roman. What changes is only the density of mines. There are still as many anti-tank mines, but fewer anti-personnel mines“.

“The objective is not Robotyne”

The Ukrainian counter-offensive aims to break through the Russian fortification lines and push towards the Sea of ​​Azov to reconquer the south of the country, occupied for almost a year and a half. But Ukrainian progress is slow on this front. The Ukrainian army has only advanced about ten kilometers in the last two months. Ukrainian soldiers face elite Russian troops who have just arrived here and are fighting to the death. “The Russians engaged better prepared units. Soldiers from our brigade recently took back a position from Russian paratroopers. Instead of surrendering, the last two soldiers preferred to commit suicide” says Roman.

No triumphalism on the Ukrainian side: Robotyne is only a small village, the soldiers know that the road to the sea is still long. “The objective is not Robotyne, explains Oleg, charioteer. It is above all the hill which dominates the village. Strategically, it is very important. This is why we focus on this height and when it is ours, it will be easier“.

The advance towards the hill above Robotyne may take several days, and the Sea of ​​Azov is still a hundred kilometers away.