Zaluzhuzhni intensifies protective fortifications: the Russian Federation tries to intercept the initiative throughout the front - ISW

Particular attention was paid to meetings with US Army representatives with offensive operations of the occupation group in Kupyansk, Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiiv and Mariinsky directions. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky and Commander -in -Chief of the Armed Forces General Valery Zaluzhnya signaled the intention to strengthen the defense and strengthen the fortifications throughout the front line.

But in the discussion of current and prepared defense measures did not touch the Zaporizhzhya region. About it writes "Institute of War Study" in the summary of December 1. On November 30, Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the defense forces would strengthen the protective fortifications in all key areas, in particular on the Kupyansk-Lyman line, in the north and west of Ukraine and in the Kherson region. Avdiivskyi, Mariinsky and a number of other areas are highlighted.

Zelensky further met with the commanders of the operational groups and discussed defense operations in the Avdeevsky and Mariinsky directions. For his part, Zaluzhny had a conversation with representatives of the US Army: they discussed the offensive operations of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in Kupyansk, Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiiv and Mariinsky directions.

The statements of Zelensky and Zaluzhny indicate the areas of the front where the Ukrainian forces mostly concentrated defense operations: the line of the border of Kharkiv and Luhansk regions (between Kupyansk and Lyman), most of the Donetsk region (probably referring to Bakhmut with Avdiivka) and Kherson region . But there is no Zaporizhzhya region in this list - hence the assumption: the Ukrainian forces in the area do not go to the defense.

Such statements, in general, are consistent with the ISW assessment of the Russian forces' desire to return the initiative throughout the front, at least from mid -November. For this purpose, several simultaneous offensive areas are held where the Armed Forces are engaged in defense.