Russia pushes to create a buffer zone in Dnipropetrovsk region, Ukrainian army chief says
Photo: Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi (t.me_landforcesofukraine)
Russian troops are not abandoning the offensive and aim to create a buffer zone in the Dnipropetrovsk region, according to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrskyi.
"On the Oleksandrivsk direction, offensive actions by the Defense Forces have continued since the end of January. During this operation, control was restored over 480 sq. km of territory, eight settlements in the Dnipropetrovsk region, and four in the Zaporizhzhia region," Syrskyi said.
On the Oleksandrivsk direction, the enemy is attacking in the areas of Ternove, Oleksandrohrad, Ivanivka, Zelenyi Hai, Andriivka-Klevtsove, Sichneve, and toward Sosnivka, Verbove, and Zlahoda. Over the past week, a total of 64 Russian attacks were recorded in this direction.
Russian troops are not abandoning further offensive actions, regrouping their available forces and assets.
"The goal of the invaders, despite significant losses in personnel and military equipment, is to capture more Ukrainian territory and create a buffer zone in the Dnipropetrovsk region," the commander-in-chief said.
Meanwhile, the Defense Forces of Ukraine consistently and steadfastly conduct active defense, inflicting significant fire damage on the Russians, destroying enemy personnel, weapons, and military equipment.
Frontline situation
Previously, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Russia is attempting to intensify assault activity on the front, but only suffers even greater losses. The Russians have also missed their own deadlines in three regions, as they failed to achieve their objectives in the border areas of the Sumy, Kharkiv, and Donetsk regions, and have postponed their timelines.
Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are conducting a planned offensive operation on the Oleksandrivsk direction. In a short period, the Defense Forces liberated over 400 sq. km of territory, advancing simultaneously on the Oleksandrivsk and Huliaipole directions.
According to the General Staff, Ukrainian forces have already managed to liberate almost the entire territory of the Dnipropetrovsk region.
The Air Assault Forces reported that during the counteroffensive on the Oleksandrivsk direction, Ukrainian troops liberated nine settlements from Russian control and completely cleared three others of the enemy.
Meanwhile, analysts at ISW note that successful counterattacks by Ukrainian forces on the southern front could disrupt Russia’s plans for an offensive during the spring-summer period of 2026.
