Ukraine’s military has reportedly launched attacks on occupying Russian forces in the strategically important Zaporizhzhia region, according to Russian officials and military bloggers.
A senior Ukrainian defense official referred to the Russian forces as being in “active defense.”
Military experts have suggested that Ukraine’s long-awaited counter-offensive will focus on the Zaporizhzhia region. The objective is to regain access to the Sea of Azov and create a divide among the occupying Russian forces in the region, weakening their combat capabilities and eliminating their land bridge to Crimea, which was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.
Ukraine has been preparing for a counter-offensive for several months, aiming to train its troops and receive advanced military equipment from Western allies. While the government has remained tight-lipped about its plans, Ukrainian forces have started probing Russian positions along the front line to assess any potential weaknesses.
In the meantime, Russian attacks on Ukraine persist. Overnight, Russia launched fresh cruise missile and drone strikes, resulting in falling debris that caused casualties, including at least one fatality in Zhytomyr, located west of the capital Kyiv.
The Zaporizhzhia region has been under Russian control since their invasion in February 2022. However, the regional capital, Zaporizhzhia city, remains under Ukrainian control.
Recent intense fighting in the area has continued, with reports from Russian military bloggers indicating that Ukraine has resumed attacks. These reports mention the movement of armored personnel carriers and drones directing artillery fire.
Both sides’ claims are difficult to verify independently. Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar stated that Russian forces were currently in “active defense” in Zaporizhzhia. She also claimed that advances were being made in the eastern city of Bakhmut, which has suffered extensive destruction during months of conflict.
The Zaporizhzhia region is home to Europe’s largest nuclear power plant, located in an area controlled by Russian forces. Despite the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam on the Dnipro river, which has led to a decrease in water levels and flooding downstream, the power plant continues to receive cooling water. However, the resulting emergency poses a threat to the region’s water supplies and carries the risk of cholera outbreaks. Additionally, the destruction of the dam is predicted to have significant long-term consequences for agriculture in one of Ukraine’s most fertile areas.
