Russian forces are attempting to advance as deep as possible in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia Oblast, aiming to reach its administrative borders, says Vladyslav Voloshyn, the spokesperson for the Southern Defense Forces, UkrInform.
The Russian military-political leadership has never hidden that the Zaporizhzhia Oblast is within their geopolitical interests, Voloshyn states.
"Therefore, it can be said that before any negotiations on a ceasefire or the establishment of different regimes or ceasefire agreements begin, the Russians want to gain as much advantage as possible, advancing as far as they can in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, and if possible, even reaching the administrative borders of the region," Voloshyn explains.
He emphasizes that this is one reason why the situation in southern Ukraine, particularly in the Zaporizhzhia direction, is beginning to escalate. The occupiers have also accumulated certain forces and resources in these areas to conduct assaults with small infantry groups.
"The tactic of using these small groups has been somewhat effective for Russia on other fronts, which is why they will try to apply this creeping advance tactic and infantry assaults in small groups on the Zaporizhzhia directions as well. We are talking about the Orikhiv and Huliaipole directions. Since the beginning of spring, the number of such assault actions has significantly increased in the region," Voloshyn adds.
Earlier, Ukraine’s 12th Azov Special Purpose Brigade, operating under the National Guard, took 20 Russian soldiers prisoner near Toretsk in Donetsk Oblast, according to the Brigade’s statement released on 27 March.
The unit reported that the captives survived combat in a sector where many of their fellow Russian troops were killed during failed assaults.
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