Russian troops are trying to establish control over important bridgeheads and commanding heights in the Orekhovo sector of the Zaporizhia Front, Defense Forces "South" spokesman Vladislav Voloshin said, as quoted by the Ukrainian Ukrinform news agency.
According to him, the main goal of the Russian forces is to gain tactical advantage by controlling key communication routes, including those connecting the city of Zaporizhia with the eastern regions of Ukraine.
The offensive is focused on the areas around the settlements of Stepnoye and Lobkovo. If they manage to establish control over these territories, Russian forces will be able to keep other important settlements such as Kamenskoye and Stepnogorsk under fire, Voloshin explained. This would complicate Ukrainian logistics and supply in the region.
Zaporozhye region is located in the southeastern part of Ukraine and is of strategic importance due to its location between Donetsk region and the Crimean peninsula annexed by Russia. The region borders the Sea of Azov and includes many important infrastructure facilities, including the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant in Energodar.
We recall that Russia annexed the entire region back in 2022 - a move that is not recognized by any country in the world. Russia does not control the entire Zaporizhia region, and its occupation administration is located in the city of Melitopol, where an active Ukrainian partisan movement operates.
The city of Zaporizhia is the administrative center of the Zaporizhia region and is located in the northwestern part of the region, on both banks of the Dnieper River. The city is an important industrial and transport center connecting southern and eastern Ukraine. In addition, key railway and road routes, as well as supplies to the front line, pass through Zaporizhia.
Capturing heights near Zaporizhia would allow Russian forces to increase pressure on Ukrainian defenses and create a threat to the city itself - a symbol of Ukrainian resilience in the region.
The Russian command is apparently looking for a way to improve its tactical position without engaging in large-scale offensive operations in the city of Zaporizhia itself, which remains under the control of the Ukrainian army.