Ukraine mechanized counter offensive breakthrough Russian lines

 ISW:

Ukrainian forces launched a significant mechanized counteroffensive operation in western Zaporizhia Oblast on July 26 and appear to have broken through certain pre-prepared Russian defensive positions south of Orikhiv. Russian sources, including the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) and several prominent milbloggers, claimed that Ukrainian forces launched an intense frontal assault towards Robotyne (10km south of Orikhiv) and broke through Russian defensive positions northeast of the settlement.[1] Geolocated footage indicates that Ukrainian forces likely advanced to within 2.5km directly east of Robotyne during the attack before Russian forces employed standard doctrinal elastic defense tactics and pushed Ukrainian troops back somewhat, although not all the way back to their starting positions.[2]
...

Ukrainians appear to have rotated fresh forces into this area for the operation whereas Russian forces remain pinned to the line apparently without rotation, relief, or significant reinforcement in this sector. Russian milbloggers and unnamed Pentagon officials additionally noted that the Ukrainian units that participated in the July 26 attack are reserves that belong to older and more established Ukrainian brigades.[8] These reports indicate that Ukraine may now be employing fresh and generally more experienced units in the battle, whereas the same Russian 58th Combined Arms Army elements (particularly the 71st Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 42nd Motorized Rifle Division) have been engaged in defensive operations in this very area continually since the beginning of the Ukrainian counteroffensive in early June without relief.[9]The introduction of fresh Ukrainian reserves to the effort, together with the geometry of Russian defensive lines and the likely degraded overall state of Russian forces in this area, may allow Ukraine to begin pursuing more successful advances south of Orikhiv in the coming weeks.

Western and Ukrainian officials suggested that the attacks towards Robotyne mark an inflection in Ukraine’s counteroffensive effort. The New York Times reported on July 27, citing two anonymous Pentagon officials, that the “main thrust” of the Ukrainian counteroffensive has begun in earnest.[10] The Western officials noted that this is an opportune moment for Ukrainian efforts given recent gradual Ukrainian operations to clear Russian defensive positions, Russian command changes following the dismissal of 58th Combined Arms Army Commander Major General Ivan Popov, and continued Ukrainian artillery strikes against Russian concentration areas in southern Ukraine, which are all elements that are consistent with ISW’s assessment on the state of play in southern Ukraine.[11] Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also cryptically stated in his nightly address on July 27 that Ukrainian forces “had very good results today” and that he will provide more details at a later date.[12]
...

Russia apparently has no fresh troops it can get to the front at this point.  It has had difficulty maintaining its current defensive operations since its own offensive operations sputtered to a stop.  Ukraine has had problems penetrating the Russian-prepared positions in the past, but this operation may be a breakthrough that will be a challenge for Russia to deal with in its current state.   Russia has been using anti-ship missiles against Ukraien ground positions of late which suggests it has expending its more appropriate weapon systems.

See, also:

Rare testimony reveals brutal life for Russian convicts fighting in Ukraine

 One fighter was shot twice, sent from the hospital back to the front, where he drank melted snow to live. Forced to assault Ukrainian positions repeatedly, until a grenade blinded him. Saved from the trenches by a doctor who made him a hospital orderly.

Another was jailed at 20 for minor drugs charges, sent to the front aged 23. Given almost no training, he was dead three weeks later - among likely 60 Russians killed in an assault on the very day Russian President Vladimir Putin celebrated the defeat of the Nazis in Red Square.

These two stories, of remarkable survival and premature death, epitomize the squalid and exhausting loss of life in Russia’s trenches. Yet there is one distinction: the dead are prisoners, promised respite from their jail terms if they join so-called Storm-Z battalions run by the Russian Ministry of Defense.

Life expectancy is short, conditions themselves tough to survive, and convicts describe being used as cannon fodder. Tens of thousands of convicts have been recruited to serve at the front line, at first by the mercenary group Wagner – a scheme then taken over by the defense ministry.
...

And:

 'Unusual' numbers of a massive Russian missile built to sink aircraft carriers are hammering a port city in southern Ukraine, intelligence says

...

The Kh-22 Storm, which NATO calls the AS-4 Kitchen, is a massive, nearly 40-foot-long anti-ship missile that weighs over six tons and carries a roughly 2,000-pound warhead. It's wildly inaccurate over land and known for causing significant collateral damage.
...

Even if Ukraine were doing that, Russian strikes aren't hitting those targets. They are instead battering non-military targets like grain silos, ports, and landmarks in Odesa's historic city center, according to the most recent intelligence update from the UK defense ministry.

Not only have the Russian strikes, which involve a variety of different missiles, killed and wounded innocent Ukrainian civilians, but dozens of historic sites like the Orthodox cathedral in Odesa have been severely damaged, prompting outrage from Ukraine's leadership.
...

And:

 Russia had a super-advanced air defense system within 300 meters of a drone attack in Moscow, but failed to shoot it down

And:

A Ukrainian Storm Shadow missile took out a major Russian vehicle repair site in Crimea, report says 

...

The vehicle repair base south of Dzhankoy has served at earlier points in the war as a major repair hub, according to Forbes, housing hundreds of fighting vehicles, tanks, and trucks being fixed up for the invasion.
...

And:

 How Ukraine is changing war tech

...

•  Tech exports are the backbone of Ukraine’s war-torn economy. The IT sector saw a 5% year-on-year growth in 2022, outperforming all expectations. Ukrainian software developed before the war and now being tested, such as the the so-called “Uber for artillery” that optimizes attacks based on conditions like target type and range, are being eyed by Western allies like the Pentagon. Ukraine has also proven savvy at digital warfare against Russia. Experts believe the country will re-emerge as a tech hub and industry leader following the war. —
• War-torn geography is crucial for training AI, and tech companies are flocking to Ukraine to develop software where “data is the new oil.” Drone makers are using the battlefield to teach software things like how to identify enemy tanks from civilian tractors. Rescue operations performed inside destroyed buildings by drones could one day be used by police in the U.S. to assist in active shooter situations. —
• But officials warn that rapid AI development will undeniably re-shape warfare for the worse, with Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister lamenting that AI technology is a ”threat to the future." AI removes yet one more layer between human decisions and ordering a killing, and the technology is expected to eventually become so cheap and accessible that non-state actors like Islamic extremists and Mexico-based cartels will be able to use it if they acquire more drones. —

And:

Russia's not just seeing an exodus of people — it saw a record $239 billion worth of assets being pulled out last year

And:

 Two-thirds of African leaders refuse to attend Putin’s summit