Ukraine claims control of Stepnohirsk in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, military intelligence says

Ukraine has pushed back Russian forces from the southeastern town of Stepnohirsk in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, the Ukrainian military intelligence (HUR) reported on May 18.

The Ukrainian advance was confirmed by footage of Ukrainian troop movements released by HUR, which shows soldiers from the "Artan" special unit of Ukrainian military intelligence engaging Russian forces in Stepnohirsk. The tactically significant town is located 30 kilometers (about 19 miles) south of Zaporizhzhia and sits along the important North-South E105 highway.

Geolocated footage showed Ukrainian armored vehicles operating at a crossroad on the highway as they transited to central Stepnohirsk, areas that had previously been assessed by Ukrainian battlefield monitoring map DeepState as firmly under Russian control.

"During the operation, which took place in close coordination with adjacent units, military intelligence special forces conducted a series of active offensive actions in order to oust the Russian occupiers from the town and stabilize the situation in the settlement," the Artan special unit said in a statement published on Telegram.

"As a result of fighting in difficult urban conditions, the Russian occupying forces were knocked out of fortified positions, and key locations in Stepnohirsk came under the control of the Security and Defense Forces of Ukraine", the statement continued.

Russian troops had never occupied Stepnohirsk, but their infiltration groups have regularly crept into the town, specifically from Kamianske, a town located five kilometers (about three miles) to the south along the highway, according to Vladyslav Voloshyn, the spokesperson for Ukraine's Southern Defense Forces.

Voloshyn said Russia has been trying to capture Stepnohirsk to advance closer to Zaporizhzhia, the regional capital of Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

Taking control of Stepnohirsk and the E105 highway threatens to significantly complicate Russia's ongoing attempts to advance toward Zaporizhzhia. Russian forces have been advancing along the eastern bank of the Dnipro River toward the town of Prymorske, aiming to bring Zaporizhzhia within artillery range.

Pasi Paroinen, an analyst with the Finland-based open-source analysis organization Black Bird Group, confirmed to the Kyiv Independent that Ukrainian forces had been launching a series of counterattacks in the direction of Stepnohirsk, adding that he believed it was possible that Ukrainian forces would be able to stabilize the situation in the area in the near future.

"The assault actions were carried out in a coordinated manner, using aerial reconnaissance and pinpoint fire," Viktor Torkotiuk, the commander of the Artan special unit, said on Telegram.

"Each house was checked for 'surprises' and remnants of the occupant's manpower. We do not rule out that the enemy will continue to attempt to enter the city again, but we are ready for this."

Voloshyn, the spokesperson for Ukraine's Southern Defense Forces, said he couldn't comment on the HUR statement, as it was issued by a different branch of the army.