Russian forces advance in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia
Russia said its forces had advanced sharply in Ukraine’s southeastern Zaporizhzhya region, capturing two settlements as part of a major offensive aimed at seizing control of the entire Zaporizhzhia region.
Ukraine, which has a smaller army than Russia’s, is working on ways to strengthen the defense in the Donetsk region, while also keeping the rest of the front stable against the intense artillery and drone attacks of highly mobile Russian troops.
Since advancing towards the Dnipropetrovsk region in late June, Russian forces have been pushing the region and neighboring Zaporizhia region, where they have advanced at least 30 km along a relatively broad front in the past six weeks, according to pro-Ukrainian maps.
Russia’s defense ministry said its forces captured Rivnopillya, leaving the southern town of Huliaipole in danger of becoming the target of Russian pincer movements. It was stated that Russian forces also captured Mala Tokmachka, just 9 km away from Orikhiv.
“It is difficult to overestimate the importance of this village for the defense of Orikhiv,” said Yuri Podolyaka, one of Russia’s leading war bloggers, adding that Mala Tokmachka was actually the “gateway to Orikhiv.”
There has been no statement from Ukraine yet. Ukraine’s top general said last week that fighting was worsening in parts of the Zaporozhye front, including the town of Huliaipole. Separately, last week the Kiev army announced that its troops were withdrawing from many villages in the region.
Ukrainian soldiers and commanders say they do not have enough troops to hold many defensive positions, despite thousands of drones flying over the battlefield and making advances costly for both sides.
Russia controls about 19 percent of Ukraine, or 115,476 square kilometers, up just one point from two years ago. Moscow wants to take control of all of Donbas, including Donetsk and Luhansk, as well as all of Kherson and Zaporizhia.
Russia says it controls about 75 percent of the Zaporozhye region; This means that Ukraine still holds about 7000 square kilometers, including the city of Zaporizhzhia, which had a pre-war population of over 700,000.
