Russian troops appear to be preparing for assault operations in the southeastern Zaporizhzhia Oblast, where "the enemy is amassing personnel," the Ukrainian military's Southern Command spokesman Vladyslav Voloshyn said on Sept. 28.
The statement comes as Russia continues to press forward on its offensives across the eastern front, primarily on the Pokrovsk, Vuhledar, and Toretsk axes in Donetsk Oblast, where the outnumbered and outgunned Ukrainian soldiers are forced to withdraw little by little.
Speaking on national television, Voloshyn said, citing the Ukrainian military's intelligence data, that Russia is massing personnel for what could be a new manoeuver in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, particularly near the Russian-occupied village of Pryiutne located on the border with Donetsk Oblast.
Voloshyn also said on television that Russian troops received 25 light buggies that could be used by small infantry groups for assaults.
"These are such signs of preparation for the fact that in the near future, assault actions will be carried out in the Zaporizhzhia direction," Voloshyn said, though stressing that it would require larger forces for a full-blown offensive.
The spokesman suggested that the potential operation may be Russia's attempt at improving its tactical position in the area, but “there is no talk of an offensive yet.”
The village of Pryiutne lies about 40 kilometers west of Vuhledar, a mining town that Russian troops have been trying to seize for more than two years. Russia has scaled up its offensive on Vuhledar in August, slowly gaining ground to encircle the town.
The defense of Vuhledar is strategic as capturing the town would allow Moscow to form the southern flank, which is needed as a staging ground for a bigger push onto Pokrovsk – a crucial Ukrainian-controlled logistic hub in the Donbas.
Pryiutne is located about 70 kilometers southwest of Pokrovsk.
Chris York
