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The Kyiv Independent’s contributor Ignatius Ivlev-Yorke spent a day with a mobile team from the State Emergency Service in Nikopol in the south of Ukraine as they responded to relentless drone, artillery, and mortar strikes from Russian forces just across the Dnipro River. Nikopol is located across from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant in the city of Enerhodar.

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Russia deploys assault groups to Zaporizhzhia Oblast, military says

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Russia deploys assault groups to Zaporizhzhia Oblast, military says
A Ukrainian soldier looks at a destroyed church in Orikhiv, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, on Sept. 14, 2023. (Francis Farrell/Kyiv Independent)

The Russian army is deploying trained assault groups to frontline positions in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Vladyslav Voloshyn, the spokesperson for the Ukrainian military's Southern Command, told the news outlet Suspilne on Nov. 12.

A day before, Voloshyn said that a new Russian assault in Zaporizhzhia Oblast could begin "any day."

In early October, Russian troops reportedly renewed their attack in the Zaporizhzhia sector. Kyiv warned of a potential Russian push in the southern region, just as Moscow's troops continue advancing in Ukraine's east.

According to Voloshyn, Russia is preparing to intensify its offensive toward the town of Orikhiv in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

This move will allow the Russian military to gain control of the logistics routes from Zaporizhzhia to eastern Ukraine, the spokesperson added.

Another Russian target in Zaporizhzhia Oblast is the Hulyaipole sector, where "important" logistics routes for the Russian military are located, he said. Besides, Russian troops intensified their assault actions towards the village of Vremivka, trying to break through Ukrainian defensive positions near the settlements of Rivnopillia and Velyka Novosilka, according to Voloshyn.

Voloshyn said in October that Russian forces were massing for a breakthrough in the direction of Orikhiv and Mala Tokmachka in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. The area 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 results.

Russian troops have intensified attacks against Zaporizhzhia, targeting its civilian infrastructure with guided aerial bombs.

Russia has reportedly made gains in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Should Ukraine expect a broader offensive?
Fears of a larger Russian offensive in Zaporizhzhia Oblast are growing as Russian forces have reportedly made progress along the border between Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts and intensified air strikes on the regional capital. “If they achieve a breakthrough, Russia will be able to fire at logis…
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Kateryna Hodunova

News Editor

Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent. She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport. Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards. She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy.

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