Ukrainian troops have pulled back from positions near five settlements in the Zaporizhzhia region as Russian forces intensified attacks, Ukraine’s Southern Defense Forces said on 11 November.
Zaporizhzhia Oblast has been a contested frontline since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, with control of its towns and supply routes shifting multiple times. The region’s strategic location, linking southern Ukraine to the eastern front, has made it a frequent target for assaults, artillery barrages, and drone attacks.
The withdrawal comes after several days of intense fighting in the Oleksandrivka and Huliaipole sectors, with Russian units carrying out over 400 artillery strikes daily, firing around 2,000 shells.
Ukrainian defenses suffered repeated assaults and near-total destruction of fortifications, forcing troops to retreat to preserve personnel while continuing to repel enemy attempts to entrench.
Ukrainian units pulled back from Novouspenivske, Nove, Okhotnyche, Uspenivka, and Novomykolaivka. Russian forces are trying to move into these settlements, but Ukrainian troops continue to push back.
Heavy clashes are ongoing around Yablukove, Rivnopillia, and Solodke. Russian units from the east are pressing to encircle Huliaipole and cut key supply routes leading from Pokrovske in the north.
“The fighting goes on. Our assault units and other troops are battling hard for every inch of our land,” the Southern Defense Forces said.
