Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine: The liberation of Robotyne was decided by a group of only 31 Ukrainian soldiers

The liberation of the strategically important village of Robotyne in the Zaporizhia region, confirmed on Monday, was possible thanks to the heroic attitude of 31 of our soldiers.

One third of whom had no combat experience, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Tuesday evening in Paris. The minister attends a meeting of the French ambassadors there.

"Right now, the Ukrainian army is continuing its counter-offensive advance. It is an extremely difficult task. The number of (Russian) minefields and fortifications is huge. Drones, helicopters and (enemy) planes dominate the air, but we are gradually succeeding. A few days ago we broke the defense (of the enemy) on one of the most difficult sections of the front, and we liberated the strategically important village of Robotyne," Kuleba recalled in France, quoted on Wednesday on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

Robotyne's liberation

The head of Ukrainian diplomacy admitted that the fighting near this town had been going on for several months, but had not brought the expected results. The breakthrough turned out to be the decision to change the commander, who ordered "to gather motivated soldiers ready to fulfill combat tasks".

"A group of 31 military men was formed. One-third had no experience at the front, but all of them had (necessary) knowledge and the will to win" - reported Kuleba, emphasizing that "the dry reports of the armed forces hide the fate and efforts of real people".

"Within 18 hours, these soldiers literally crawled on their bellies through kilometers of minefields, where the Russians placed six mines on each square kilometer. Finally, the unit reached the tree line separating farmland. the greatest tragedies and the greatest acts of heroism occur during this war. In this case, our (soldiers) drove the enemy out of there and held the position for two days until reinforcements arrived, "said the guest of the ambassador's conference.

He added that in the following days, a group of 31 military personnel traveled another 10 km of minefields, carrying backpacks weighing 35-40 kg.

"They had only a moment to catch their breath and immediately rushed to storm the fortified Russian positions, recapturing them from enemy hands and holding them there until the arrival of the main force. In just 40 days, this unit carried out six assaults and two reconnaissance missions. The group 31 people did the work of the entire battalion, numbering about 400 soldiers. Losses amounted to seven wounded, of which only one suffered serious injuries as a result of stepping on a mine, "emphasized Kuleba.

"In practice, the work of this group enabled the entire brigade to attack Robotyne and (restore control over it) after weeks of assaults. After securing the flanks (of this village), we open the road towards Tokmak, and then to Melitopol and the border with Crimea" - added the minister.

Robotyne has been liberated, and our troops are already advancing southeast of this important town, the Military Media Center reported on Telegram on Monday, quoting Ukraine's Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malar.

The village, recaptured from the aggressor, lies on the route to the city of Tokmak, a logistics hub for the Russian army. Even further south, beyond Tokmak, is Melitopol - one of the main targets of the Ukrainian counteroffensive.

According to many Western observers, including experts from the American Institute of War Studies (ISW), capturing Robotyne may allow the Ukrainians to continue their attack on less mined, easier to overcome terrain.