Ukrainian troops advancing south after taking Robotyne, army says

The Ukrainian army says it is continuing to advance after breaking through the Russian defence line near Robotyne, a settlement in the southern Zaporizhzhya region.
The next target for liberation is the nearby village of Novoprokopivka, said military spokesman Oleksandr Shtupun.
Although the Russian air force is stepping up its attacks there, Shtupun interpreted this as a sign that the Russian ground forces no longer have much to counter the Ukrainian advance.
The battlefield claims could not be independently verified. But military analysts agree that Robotyne was retaken after weeks of fighting and that Ukrainian forces are slowly pushing farther south.
Recapturing cities like Tokmak, and a farther advance on to Melitipol, would mark major wins in Kiev's counteroffensive. Both cities in Zaporizhzhya have been occupied by Russian forces since the early days of Moscow's full-scale invasion.
Ukraine eventually aims to advance to the Sea of Azov and cut off Russia's land bridge to the Crimean Peninsula.
Elsewhere, Shtupun said Ukraine was repelling attacks by Russian troops near the towns of Avdiivka and Marinka in the eastern Donetsk region.