Russia is deploying new assault units to the southern front
In the southern sector, Russian forces have sharply intensified their offensive operations, deploying new and better-trained units to the Huliaipole area. Despite the failure of previous plans to seize territory, the occupiers are setting new deadlines and attempting to increase pressure on Ukrainian positions.
On Ukraine’s southern front, there has been a noticeable increase in combat activity by Russian forces, which, despite previous failures in attempts to advance in certain areas, continue to ramp up pressure and deploy additional forces, particularly in the Huliaipole direction, where the situation remains one of the most tense.
According to Vladislav Voloshin, spokesperson for the Southern Defense Forces of Ukraine, the Russian army failed to carry out its initial plans to capture settlements within the set timeframes, after which the enemy command set new deadlines and is effectively forcing units to intensify combat operations. He notes that this is accompanied by an increase in the number of attacks and a change in tactics, which includes more intensive preparation for assaults and more intense strikes on Ukrainian forces’ positions. “Putin claimed that he has already captured 80 percent of the Zaporizhzhia region. This does not correspond to reality; these are rather political statements and wishful thinking that have nothing to do with the actual situation on the front lines,” Voloshin emphasized, commenting on the statements by the Russian leadership and their impact on the situation on the battlefield.
He also noted that the intensity of combat operations has increased significantly recently: whereas previously about 35–36 attacks per day were recorded in certain sectors, the number now exceeds 50 daily, indicating a gradual increase in pressure. In addition, the number of artillery strikes has increased, now reaching approximately 500 per day, and the use of kamikaze drones and munitions dropped from drones has also risen sharply.
According to the spokesperson, the occupiers are focusing particular attention on the Huliaipole sector, where they are carrying out dozens of assaults in the areas of several settlements, attempting to gradually advance and consolidate their positions on specific sections of the front. At the same time, Ukrainian intelligence is recording the appearance of new, trained enemy units that have undergone training tailored to specific combat conditions, distinguishing them from previous waves of mobilized troops. “These are no longer just mobilized troops who are immediately sent into battle, but units that have undergone specific training and been tasked with operating under specific frontline conditions,” Voloshin explained.
Also, according to him, Russian troops are actively changing tactics, using aviation for preliminary strikes on positions they later attempt to storm, and during attacks, they are increasingly using light vehicles—motorcycles and ATVs—which allow for faster maneuvering on the battlefield. Despite this, Ukrainian forces continue to hold their positions and are detecting enemy attempts to expand their operations to other sectors of the southern front, particularly in the Oleksandrivka direction, where the Armed Forces of Ukraine previously managed to seize the initiative. This was reported by Vladislav Voloshin, spokesperson for the Southern Defense Forces of Ukraine.
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