Ukraine's military warns of escalating threat on the south: What Russian army preparing
Illustrative photo: The military warns about an advance of the Russian army in Zaporizhzhia (zp.gov.ua)
A new threat may emerge soon in southern Ukraine. Several military and political sources have expressed concerns that the Russian occupying forces could initiate offensive actions within the Zaporizhzhia region.
More details are covered in the RBC-Ukraine article "Pokrovsk, Kurakhove and new threat in the south: What's happening on the frontline."
According to the sources, possible strike directions could include Huliaipole, Orikhiv, and Kamianske, where enemy sabotage and reconnaissance groups have recently increased their activity.
The potential objective of the Russian forces could be to advance at least 30 kilometers deeper, aiming to get closer to Zaporizhzhia, push Ukrainian forces further away from Enerhodar and the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and then start negotiations from a position of ultimatum.
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As noted in the report, Ukrainian forces are preparing to counter this scenario.
Threat to Zaporizhzhia
Previously, military expert Ivan Stupak commented to RBC-Ukraine that the defense forces positioned in the Zaporizhzhia area have been anticipating "something to start" for several months.
According to him, in considering the risk of an offensive in Zaporizhzhia, the worst-case scenarios must be taken into account.
In October, several Western media outlets reported that Russian forces might be planning a large-scale offensive to establish control over Zaporizhzhia.
Vladyslav Voloshyn, a spokesperson for the Southern Defense Forces, stated that the Russians have concentrated about 200,000 troops in southern Ukraine, including occupying forces in Crimea.
