Russia announced on Sunday that its forces had made significant advances in Ukraine’s southeastern Zaporizhzhia region, capturing two settlements as part of a broader offensive aimed at seizing full control of the area.
Ukraine, with a smaller army, has been struggling to strengthen its defences in the Donetsk region while trying to maintain stability across other fronts under relentless Russian artillery fire and drone assaults from highly mobile units.
Since pushing into the Dnipropetrovsk region in late June, Russian troops have been advancing there and in neighbouring Zaporizhzhia, gaining around 30 kilometres (19 miles) over the past six weeks, according to pro-Ukrainian mapping sources.
The Russian defence ministry reported that its forces had taken Rivnopillya, placing the southern town of Huliaipole at risk of encirclement. It also said troops had captured Mala Tokmachka, located roughly nine kilometres (six miles) from Orikhiv.
“It is difficult to overstate the importance of this village for Orikhiv’s defence,” wrote Yuri Podolyaka, a prominent Russian military blogger, describing Mala Tokmachka as “the gateway to Orikhiv”.
Ukraine has yet to issue a response. However, its top general said last week that fighting had intensified along parts of the Zaporizhzhia front, particularly near Huliaipole. Separately, Kyiv’s military confirmed that its forces had withdrawn from several villages in the region.
Ukrainian soldiers and commanders say a shortage of personnel is hindering their ability to maintain defensive lines, despite the extensive use of drones by both sides, which makes territorial gains costly.
Currently, Russia controls about 19% of Ukraine’s territory, equivalent to 115,476 square kilometres, an increase of just one percentage point in two years. Moscow’s declared goal remains to seize the entirety of the Donbas region, comprising Donetsk and Luhansk, as well as the whole of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
According to Russia, its forces now hold roughly 75% of the Zaporizhzhia region, leaving Ukraine in control of around 7,000 square kilometres, including the regional capital, Zaporizhzhia, which had a pre-war population of over 700,000.
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