Russia claims capture of Stepove in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine denies
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed Russian forces captured the Ukrainian village of Stepove in Zaporizhzhia Oblast on March 17.
Ukraine's Southern Defense Forces spokesperson Vladyslav Voloshyn denied the statement.
Stepove, with a pre-war population of 118 people, is located 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the villages of Pyatykhatky and Mali Shcherbaky in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. All three settlements were under Russian occupation in 2022 and 2023.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed that its military had taken control of Stepove. However, Voloshyn told the Kyiv Independent that Ukrainian forces did not lose ground in the Zaporizhzhia sector of the front line.
"This is a method of information warfare — the enemy claims that it is there before it has entered. I do not confirm the information that Russia entered the settlements of Stepove, Mali Shcherbaky, or Shcherbaky and took them under control," Voloshyn said.
"Fierce fighting continues in this area. The enemy is trying to change the configuration of the combat line in its favor. In total, six combat engagements were registered in the Orikhiv sector over the last day. The day before yesterday, there were 19," Voloshyn added.
According to Voloshyn, since March, Russian forces have intensified their assaults in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Since the beginning of spring, there have been over 130 clashes in the Orikhiv sector alone.
The Ukrainian military warned in fall 2024 that Russian forces were ammassing in Zaporizhzhia Oblast in preparation for a southern offensive. Heavy fortifications were constructed around the regional capital of Zaporizhzhia ahead of the possible invasion.
The area near Stepove was the main axis of Ukraine's southern counteroffensive in 2023, which led to the liberation of the settlement of Robotyne but achieved no major breakthrough.
Chris York
