Is Russia planning a southern offensive? Insights from Defense Forces

Photo: Spokesperson of the Defense Forces of Southern Ukraine Natalia Humeniuk (Getty Images)

In the south, the occupiers have shifted their activity to the east, in the area of Staromayorsk. At the same time, the Russians have not yet deployed armored vehicles, so it is possible that they are “preparing for something,” reports Natalia Humeniuk, the head of the Unified Coordination Press Center of the Defense Forces of Southern Ukraine.

“We see that they are conducting powerful rotations, which means that not everything is going well and calmly in their army, and we know this because the results of our resistance to their assault actions lead to significant losses. And now we observe that they have shifted their activity more towards the east. Even in our area of responsibility, there is more assault activity towards Staromayorsk, closer to the Donetsk region,” she said.

The Russian Federation stepped up its assaults in the Staromayorsky district of the Zaporizhzhia region (deepstatemap.live)

Confirmation of this is also the fact, according to the spokesperson, that yesterday there was one assault in the Robotyne area and seven in the Staromykhailivka area.

“This is a significant difference and concentration of the enemy. But what’s characteristic is that the Russians are not yet using armored vehicles. They are trying to operate on foot, using light motor vehicles, armored personnel carriers, and motorcycles. And in this sense (of the offensive), the machinery is preparing for something,” said Humeniuk.

Regarding the equipment, she added that the Ukrainian defense forces know its concentrated quantity, understand the reserves distributed by the enemy in different echelons because they do not concentrate all the equipment closer to the front line.

“They have been there for a long time and have had the opportunity to set up places to store the equipment. And that is why our long-range work is important now, which will destroy the enemy’s potential before they use it in the offensive. Therefore, we continue targeted work deep behind enemy lines to prevent them from having resources to pull,” explained Humeniuk.

Frontline situation

The situation on the eastern front has escalated in recent days. Occupiers have intensified assaults and are using equipment for attacks.

According to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi, the enemy is actively attacking the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the Lymanske and Bakhmut directions with assault groups supported by armored vehicles. On the Pokrovske direction, they are trying to break through our defense, using dozens of tanks and infantry fighting vehicles. Syrskyi also cited the reason why the Russian Federation is achieving tactical success.

It is worth noting that during the day, Ukrainian military repelled 36 enemy attacks on the Bakhmut direction, held positions, and repelled assaults by occupation forces on the Kherson direction. Aviation struck one enemy command point.