Ukrainian Forces Withdraw From Five Villages in Zaporizhzhia as Russian Offensive Intensifies:

Ukraine’s military is facing one of its toughest weeks in months after heavy Russian assaults forced its troops to retreat from five villages in the southern Zaporizhzhia region. The country’s top commander, General Oleksandr Syrskii, confirmed on Tuesday that the situation on parts of the front line had “significantly worsened” amid fierce fighting and relentless artillery fire. According to Syrskii, Russian forces—taking advantage of their numerical superiority and vast reserves of weapons—pushed forward under heavy fog and captured three settlements in the Oleksandrivka and Huliapole directions. “The situation has significantly worsened in these areas,” Syrskii said in an official statement. “Using its numerical superiority in personnel and materiel, the enemy advanced in fierce fighting and captured three settlements.” The Ukrainian Army said the withdrawal was a tactical decision made after Russian artillery destroyed nearly all defensive shelters and fortifications. Military officials reported that up to 2,000 shells had been fired at Ukrainian positions in a single day, leaving troops exposed and unable to hold their ground. At the same time, Russian forces have claimed new advances in the eastern cities of Pokrovsk and Kupiansk. Videos shared by Russian war bloggers show Moscow’s soldiers riding motorcycles, traveling in damaged civilian vehicles, and sitting atop tanks and armored carriers as they entered the outskirts of Pokrovsk. Russian state media has described Pokrovsk as “the gateway to Donetsk,” a strategically vital city that has been on Moscow’s radar for more than a year. Syrskii said that while Russian troops had managed to exploit the poor weather—especially the dense fog that limited visibility—to infiltrate between Ukrainian positions, they had also suffered significant losses in the process. “Every metre of our land costs Russia hundreds of military lives,” he stressed, underlining the high cost of Moscow’s advance. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who visited parts of the southern Kherson region still under Ukrainian control on Tuesday, described the battlefield situation as “difficult.” He said that weather conditions had recently favored Russian offensives, making drone surveillance and artillery coordination harder for Ukrainian forces. However, Zelenskyy added that the situation in the Kupiansk direction was “somewhat easier” and that Ukrainian troops had “achieved results there.” Military observers say the recent developments highlight two key problems for Ukraine: a shortage of soldiers and Russia’s growing dominance in drone and electronic warfare. With the front line stretching over 1,000 kilometers, Ukrainian units are increasingly thinly spread, allowing Russian troops to identify and exploit weak points. Russia has reportedly concentrated around 150,000 soldiers in its campaign to take Pokrovsk, using a pincer movement aimed at surrounding the city and threatening key supply routes to Myrnohrad and beyond. Moscow has claimed several times that it has encircled Pokrovsk, though Kyiv insists its supply lines remain intact. In the Kharkiv region, Russian troops are also advancing near Kupiansk. A Russian commander, known by the call sign “Hunter,” said his forces had seized control of an oil depot and several train stops south of the city. Ukrainian officials, however, dispute claims of full Russian control, saying fighting continues in the area. The recent setbacks in Zaporizhzhia underscore the immense challenges Ukraine faces as the war nears its fourth year. Despite Western military support, Ukraine is grappling with manpower shortages, ammunition constraints, and the effects of worsening weather as winter approaches. For now, Ukrainian commanders are focused on stabilizing defensive lines and preventing further Russian breakthroughs. As General Syrskii put it, “Our soldiers continue to fight bravely. Every day, they prove that our freedom is worth the highest price.

NEWS