Russian forces increased activity in the Orikhiv direction in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, attempting to cut off the Robotyne salient, said Dmytro Lykhovii, a spokesperson of the Tavria group of forces, on March 7.
The village of Robotyne, lying some 15 kilometers (9 miles) south of Orikhiv and 70 kilometers (43.5 miles) southeast of Zaporizhzhia, was liberated by Ukraine during its counteroffensive in the summer of 2023 and has been on the front line since then.
Robotyne sits by the main road toward Russian-occupied Tokmak and further to occupied Melitopol, one of the key logistic hubs for Russian forces in southern Ukraine.
"The Orikhiv sector is becoming an intense battleground," Lykhovii said on air.
"The enemy is trying to cut off the Robotyne salient in the area."
In the previous days or weeks, Russian forces launched at the most three to five attacks per day, sometimes carrying out no offensive action at all, Lykhovii said.
Russian activity surged over the past 24 hours, as Moscow's troops carried out 16 assaults west of Verbove and near Robotyne, according to the spokesperson. The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said that all the attacks were unsuccessful.
"The more enemy tries to attack, the more of his manpower we destroy," Lykhovii added.
Another surge of Russian attacks near Robotyne was recorded in mid-February, resulting in no confirmed changes to the front line, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote at the time.
Asami Terajima
(Updated: )
