Russian forces progress on two fronts

According to the ISW, the Russian army made a slight advancement in the industrial zone southeast of Avdiivka. Offensive moves were also detected near Bakhmut and along the Kupyansk-Svatove-Kreminna line. Despite continuous efforts on Friday, the Russian troops failed to make any advancement to the west and southwest of Donetsk.

The report further confirms the advancement of Russian troops on the border of the Donetsk and Zaporizhzhya regions, east of the village of Urozhainoye.

Analysts report minor shifts of the Ukrainian forces to the southwest of the Robotyne village in the western part of the Zaporizhzhya region, and near Bakhmut in the Donetsk region.

On Friday, the Ukrainian side confirmed the establishment of several bridgeheads on the eastern bank of the Dnieper in the Kherson region, located south of Ukraine. The aim is to dislodge the Russian forces from this area, which currently enables them to launch artillery bombardments on the western bank of the Dnieper. However, future advancements by the Ukrainian armed forces are likely to face challenges.

ISW analysts note that the Russians have built their defensive lines in the Kherson region around a complex system of dugouts, constructed over several months. The area surrounding the village of Krynky, which hosts one of the Ukrainian forces' bridgeheads on the east side of the Dnieper, has been heavily mined.

According to the ISW, the Russian forces in the Kherson region have not established any continuous, visible defensive structures, but instead, have constructed a widely dispersed network of single fortifications, positioned somewhat far from the front line.

Analysts, however, argue that these dispersed fortifications can only be effective when they remain concealed. Autumn and winter weather conditions might uncover some of the hidden Russian positions.