Russia reinforces southern front with assault units amid Ukrainian gains
Photo: Russia is deploying additional troops to the south (Getty Images)
The Russian command is transferring additional units to the southern sectors of the front, which are typically used not for defensive operations but for assault actions, Vladyslav Voloshyn, spokesperson for Ukraine’s Southern Defense Forces, stated in a comment to RBC-Ukraine.
According to him, some units are undergoing restoration and replenishment with personnel and military equipment.
In particular, the 120th Marine Division has been placed under the operational command of Russia’s 29th Army in the Oleksandrivske direction.
“The 120th division will receive up to 50 tanks, around 4,500 personnel, up to 150 armored vehicles, and up to 150 units of other weapons and military equipment from Russia’s Vostok grouping. They are preparing for this division to operate toward the settlement of Pokrovske in the Dnipropetrovsk region,” the Southern Defense Forces spokesperson said in a comment to RBC-Ukraine.
Voloshyn explained that the division’s task is to block Ukrainian counterattacks, seize the tactical initiative, and continue attempts to advance in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
At the same time, the enemy is reinforcing its grouping in the neighboring Huliaipole sector of the front, from where it plans to develop an offensive westward, deeper into the Zaporizhzhia region.
“Recently, the 40th Separate Marine Brigade of the Pacific Fleet arrived in this direction,” Voloshyn said.
He clarified that Russia’s 5th Army, which is conducting operations directly in the Huliaipole sector, has also received the 55th Marine Division of the Pacific Fleet under its operational command.
Situation on the southern front
Ukrainian forces are conducting a planned offensive operation in the Oleksandrivka direction.
In a short period, Ukraine’s Defense Forces have liberated more than 400 square kilometers of territory, advancing simultaneously in the Oleksandrivka and Huliaipole directions.
According to the General Staff, Ukrainian troops have already managed to liberate almost the entire territory of the Dnipropetrovsk region.
The Air Assault Forces reported that during the counteroffensive in the Oleksandrivka direction, Ukrainian troops liberated 9 settlements from Russian forces and fully cleared 3 more.
Meanwhile, analysts at the Institute for the Study of War note that successful Ukrainian counterattacks on the southern front could disrupt Russia’s plans for an offensive in the spring–summer period of 2026.
