Syrskyi: Russia preparing powerful strike on Zaporizhzhia axis, aiming to capture entire region
Zaporizhzhia could be Russia’s next priority target in Ukraine, according to Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander-in-chief of Ukraine’s Armed Forces. He said a strike in this sector had been planned a year ago but was derailed by the Kursk operation.
In an interview with RBC-Ukraine, Syrskyi said Russia’s strategic offensive is ongoing and the front line remains difficult. He said Russian forces are regrouping and concentrating on two main axes: Pokrovsk and Zaporizhzhia.
An advance on Pokrovsk remains decisive for Moscow and is the most difficult stretch of the front, Syrskyi said, but Russia also plans active operations in Zaporizhzhia, moving units there from the Sumy axis.
Syrskyi said fighting in Zaporizhzhia remains low-intensity for now, but on the orders of Russian President Vladimir Putin, occupying forces are preparing a “powerful strike” that had been planned last year. At that time, most units from the Zaporizhzhia sector — including the 76th Air Assault Division — were redeployed to Russia’s Kursk region to counter a Ukrainian breakthrough.
“The goal is to break through our defenses and advance deep into the territory. Their goal, of course, is the entire region,” Syrskyi said of Russia’s objectives in Zaporizhzhia.
He added that Russian offensive actions could also pick up on the Novopavlivka and Lyman axes in Donetsk region, though on a smaller scale. In his view, significant offensive activity on the Dnipro River sector is unlikely in the near term, though the threat to Kherson should never be discounted.
Syrskyi also addressed how Russian forces advanced near Dobropillya in Donetsk region. He said Russian troops “seeped” up to 10 kilometers into several Ukrainian settlements using a “thousand cuts” tactic. Terrain featuring wooded ravines and rivers, and the absence of a continuous front line in that area, facilitated the advance.
Earlier, on August 11, Southern Defense Forces spokesperson Vladyslav Voloshyn said Russia was moving additional forces to two sections of the Zaporizhzhia front, near Hulyaipole and Orikhiv.