"We will advance for kilometers": the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation can sharply accelerate the offensive on Zaporozhye, - Sternenko

According to him, the exhaustion of Ukrainian units, difficulties with management, as well as a critical shortage of resources, in particular drones, can be seen at the front. He emphasizes that this creates a threat of further rapid advance of the Russian army: "If we leave everything as it is, there will be advances of kilometers, and then dozens of kilometers per day," Sternenko noted.

He called on the public to join in supporting the army, as the supply of equipment, including attack drones, remains insufficient. At the same time, information about the difficult situation in this direction was confirmed by the spokesman of the Southern Defense Forces, Vladyslav Voloshyn, in a comment for RBC-Ukraine. According to him, intensive fighting has been going on for several days in the Oleksandrivskyi and Gulyaipilskyi directions.

Russian units use the entire range of available weapons, trying to dislodge the Armed Forces from fortified positions. Over the past few days, up to a hundred combat clashes have been recorded on this part of the front. The aggressor conducts more than 400 artillery strikes every day, using approximately 2,000 ammunition.

Due to significant pressure and in order to preserve personnel, Ukrainian units were forced to withdraw from their positions near the settlements of Novouspenivske, Nove, Okhotnyche, Uspenivka, and Novomykolaivka. However, as Voloshyn emphasized, the enemy is trying to gain a foothold in the settlements liberated from the Ukrainian units, but the defenders continue active resistance and attack groups of Russian entrenchments.

The fiercest battles are now going on for Rivnopillia, Sweet and Yablukovo. The enemy is trying to cover Gulyaipole from the eastern direction and cut the logistics routes connecting the area with Pokrovsky. "Assault units are fiercely fighting for every centimeter of our land," Voloshyn emphasized.

Previously, DeepState analysts reported on the significant expansion of the "grey zone" in the direction of Solodke — Novomykolaivka — Rivnopillia — Nove — Novouspenivske, where the enemy has increased its presence and has already occupied part of the population centers. According to their estimates, the further advance of the Russian Federation threatens access to the approaches to Gulyaipol and makes it difficult to maintain Ukrainian positions in the surrounding areas.