Russian forces pull back from the village of Robotyne

The Russian Armed Forces tactically pulled back from the village of Rabotino (spelled the Ukrainian way as Robotyne) in the Zaporozhye (aka Zaporizhzhia) region, acting head of the region Yevgeny Balitsky said.

"To stay on bare terrain when there is absolutely no way to dig in — it does not seem appropriate," Balitskiy said.

According to Balitsky, the village of Robotyne has been completely destroyed as a result of hostilities. The village only exists on the map, he added.

The Russian troops retreated up the hills — they took the dominant heights, whereas the Ukrainian forces found themselves in the "funnel" underneath.

Rybar Telegram channel said that the Russian troops maintained control over only five or six houses on the southern outskirts of the village during the last couple of weeks. All other buildings in the village were destroyed, and Ukrainian units confidently held on to the northern outskirts.

According to WarGonzo project, the Russian troops retreated to the nearest forest plantation, and the line of contact has not changed significantly.

"There are no places left in Robotyne where one could hide from artillery. This is what our enemy has to deal with now," a message posted on the channel said.

It is worthy of note that the Armed Forces of Ukraine lost a British Challenger 2 tank in battles for Robotyne.

UK's new Secretary of Defence Grant Shapps promptly confirmed the loss of the first of Ukraine's 14 Challenger 2 tanks near the village. According to Shapps, the crew of the tank survived.