Ukraine liberates two villages in the South

ISW:

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The Ukrainian liberation of two villages that Russian forces were fighting hard to hold could correspond with the severe degradation of the Russian units defending them, as Ukrainian advances in western Zaporizhia Oblast appear to correspond with the significant degradation of defending Russian units and formations in that sector of the front. Russian forces defending in western Zaporizhia Oblast since the start of the counteroffensive have done so largely without operational-level unit rotations and have likely suffered compounding losses.[3] Elements of the Russian 42nd Motorized Rifle Division’s 71st, 70th, and 291st Motorized Rifle Regiments (58th Combined Arms Army, Southern Military District)routinely repelled Ukrainian assaults and engaged in various “combat clashes,“ including limited engagements and some counterattacks, during the first phase of the counteroffensive from June to August 2023.[4] In mid-to-late August, Ukrainian forces began breaking through the initial Russian defensive layer that these elements of the 42nd Motorized Rifle Division had spent considerable amounts of manpower, personnel, and effort to hold.[5] Russian reporting and footage suggest that many of these elements of the 42nd Motorized Rifle Division have since withdrawn to positions behind a subsequent Russian defensive layer between Verbove (18km southeast of Orikhiv) and Solodka Balka (20km south of Orikhiv) and now mainly shell advancing Ukrainian units.[6] The absence of recent reports and footage of these elements participating in combat engagements in western Zaporizhia Oblast suggests that casualties sustained during the first phases of the Ukrainian counteroffensive rendered them combat ineffective. Elements of the 70th Motorized Rifle Regiment reportedly temporarily withdrew to a rear area during the Ukrainian breakthrough and returned to frontline positions in early September, suggesting that Ukrainian advances had degraded this unit enough to compel the Russian command to give it time to refit in the rear — which would be one of the very few unit rotations ISW has observed on this sector of the front.[7] Elements of the 810th Naval Infantry Brigade (Black Sea Fleet), which also held forward positions at the initial Russian defensive layer during the earlier phases of the counteroffensive, similarly appear to be deployed further behind the Russian defensive layer ahead of the current Ukraine advance.[8] Elements of the 810th Naval Infantry Brigade reportedly engaged in close combat during the Ukrainian push through Robotyne (10km south of Orikhiv), and Russian milbloggers maintain that some elements of the unit hold positions near the southern outskirts of Robotyne.[9]

Ukrainian counteroffensive operations may have resulted in the particularly severe degradation of critical elements of the Russian elastic defense in western Zaporizhia Oblast. Elements of the Russian 22nd and 45th Separate Spetsnaz Brigades appeared to be responsible for counterattacking against significant Ukrainian advances in the Robotyne area during the earlier phases of the counteroffensive and likely suffered heavy losses in these operations.[10] Russian reporting and footage of the Robotyne area in recent weeks has largely omitted mention of these Spetsnaz brigades, suggesting that this degradation may have severely impacted their ability to continue counterattacking. A prominent milblogger claimed that elements of the 45th Spetsnaz Brigade were still operating near the frontline as of September 12, however.[11] Elements of the Russian 7th Guards Mountain Airborne (VDV) Division that laterally deployed to the Robotyne area in mid-August during the Ukrainian breakthrough now appear to be responsible for conducting counterattacks against the most forward advances of the Ukrainian breach.[12] Russian sources routinely claim that VDV elements, which may include elements of the 76th Guards VDV Division that also laterally redeployed to the area, repel Ukrainian assaults and conduct counterattacks near Robotyne[13] The degradation of the elements of the 22nd and 45th Separate Spetsnaz Brigades initially responsible for counterattacking in the Robotyne area likely prompted the Russian command to laterally redeploy these elements of the 7th and 76th VDV Divisions to assume responsibility for counterattacking. The Russian elastic defense requires one echelon of Russian forces to slow a Ukrainian tactical advance while a second echelon of forces rolls back that advance through counterattacking. Counterattacking requires significant morale and relatively high combat capabilities, and the Russian military appears to rely on relatively elite VDV units and formations for this undertaking, possibly at the expense of heavily degrading these forces.[14]
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Some of the Russian units are described as "completely destroyed."  Russia has responded to the losses in these operations with more Iranian drones a relatively ineffective weapon system these usually have only a few drones that survive Ukraine's air defenses.  Both sides appear to be running low on artillery ammo.

See. also:

Ukraine is firing up to 7,000 rounds a day, a fraction of the 60,000 shells Russia was firing earlier this year: report

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The brutal artillery battle between the two sides has been a hallmark of Russia's 18-month war in Ukraine.

However, this constant exchange of fire is depleting Ukraine's stockpile and worrying its allies about their own arsenals.

Western weapon manufacturers have scrambled to keep pace with Russia's production rates.

As of July, the US had committed to sending more than two million artillery rounds to Ukraine, while the EU has approved plans to send a quarter of a million rounds.

But a senior Estonian defense ministry source told The New York Times last week that Russia is currently generating seven times as much ammunition as the US and Europe combined.

To make up for it, the US has doubled its shell production from 14,000 earlier this year to 28,000 a month in September, with a view to reaching 57,000 a month by next spring, Bill LaPlante, the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, said last week.
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Neither side appears to have the carpet bombing ability of the US B-52s so they are using artillery as a replacement.

And:

 Russia is using elite paratrooper units as regular infantry, with the rest of its forces overstretched, UK intel says

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At full strength, this would be about 10,000 paratroopers, the MOD said. "However, almost all units are highly likely dramatically under strength," it said.

The situation is one that is unlikely to please the elite force's hierarchy, it added.

The VDV forces have likely reinforced Russia's 58th Combined Arms Army, part of Russia's ground forces, according to the UK MOD, with the situation coming about as Russia's military finds itself overstretched.

"Throughout the war Russian commanders have attempted to regenerate the airborne forces as a highly mobile, striking force for offensive operations. Once again, they are being used as line infantry to augment over-stretched ground forces," the MOD said.
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I do not view that as all that unusual;.  They have also been using Marine units as infantry instead of in amphibious assaults.  It could likely impact their strength when needed for offensive operations.

And:

 Russia deploys reserves to Zaporizhzhya front, taking heavy losses in fighting – Atesh

 And:

Why Cubans are fighting for Russia in Ukraine

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Across much of Cuba, the economy has ground to a standstill as the communist-run island reels from a sharp drop in tourism, spiking inflation and renewed US sanctions. In places like Santa Clara, a city of around 250,000 people with frequent hours-long daily blackouts and more horses and carts on the road than cars, there was seemingly an unlimited number of disaffected men to recruit.

Men like Miguel, who in July traveled to Russia and soon after was on the front lines of the war with Ukraine, his mother Cecilia told CNN. “My son made about 2,000 pesos a month,” working odd jobs in Santa Clara, she said. “You can’t buy a carton of eggs with that now. He just wanted to make our lives better.”
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“He said ‘Mama I am on the front line in Ukraine.’ He’s there, where it’s dangerous,” Cecilia said. “They are there to shield the Russian troops. They are cannon fodder.”

The predicament of Cuban recruits like Miguel is further complicated by an announcement from Cuban officials in September that they would treat their citizens fighting for Russia as illegal mercenaries and the online recruiters as human traffickers.
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They are there in Russia because the Cuban Communist economy sucks.