This was reported on Telegram by Ivan Fedorov Head of the Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration “At least eight enemy KABs struck front-line Orikhiv Residential buildings were destroyed in the attacks Preliminary reports indicate two people were injured,” he stated Fedorov emphasized that the consequences of the strike are still being assessed Russian forces carried out 497 strikes across 10 settlements in Zaporizhzhia region and Novodarivka; 256 drones of various types targeted Bilenke and Novodarivka; 15 MLRS attacks hit Kamianske and Novodarivka; 216 artillery shellings struck Kamianske There were 26 reports of damage to apartments While citing and using any materials on the Internet links to the website ukrinform.net not lower than the first paragraph are mandatory citing the translated materials of foreign media outlets is possible only if there is a link to the website ukrinform.net and the website of a foreign media outlet Materials marked as "Advertisement" or with a disclaimer reading "The material has been posted in accordance with Part 3 of Article 9 of the Law of Ukraine "On Advertising" No 1996 and the Law of Ukraine "On the Media" No 2023 and on the basis of an agreement/invoice Online media entity; Media identifier - R40-01421 This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page The 108th Brigade of Ukraine's Armed Forces train in Zaporizhzhia Oblast (Ozge Elif Kizil/Anadolu via Getty Images)Key developments on Oct Russian forces are massing for a breakthrough in the direction of Orikhiv and Mala Tokmachka in Zaporizhzhia Oblast in the coming days Southern Defense Forces spokesperson Vladyslav Voloshyn said on air on Oct This comes as another warning of a potential Russian push in the southern Zaporizhzhia Oblast just as Moscow's troops continue advancing in Ukraine's east Russia will be able to fire at logistical routes connecting Zaporizhzhia to the east of Ukraine," Voloshyn said "Russia will try to succeed at any cost to cut off our logistics." Ukrainian intelligence shows that Russian forces are amassing personnel and logistical support in the area they will likely start new offensive operations," the spokesperson noted Voloshyn expects Russia to deploy small assault groups backed by armored vehicles Orikhiv is a Ukrainian-held town roughly 50 kilometers (31 miles) southeast of the regional center and roughly 10 kilometers (6 miles) north of the front line The area was the main axis of Ukraine's southern counteroffensive in 2023, which led to the liberation of the settlement of Robotyne but achieved no major breakthrough Russia intensified its attacks in the south earlier this year, claiming to recapture Robotyne. Ukraine has repeatedly denied this claim Voloshyn warned that Moscow is "amassing personnel" in Zaporizhzhia Oblast on Sept The spokesperson said then that Russia is readying a new maneuver near the occupied village of Pryiutne but added that a full-blown offensive would require larger numbers Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) unit Kryla ("Wings") destroyed a Russian air defense system Osa with a first-person view (FPV) drone A drone worth "several hundred dollars" was used to destroy an automated air defense system worth $10 million, the intelligence agency noted Developed in the Soviet Union in the 1960s, the 9K33 Osa (SA-8 Gecko according to NATO terminology) is a highly mobile, short-range, low-altitude surface-to-air missile system still in use by Russia, Ukraine HUR released a video showing footage of the FPV drone ramming into the Russian weapon system and then separate drone footage of the burning equipment The agency did not provide any further details including when or where did the strike take place Russia has lost 970 air defense systems since the outbreak of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the General Staff of the Ukrainian military said earlier on Oct 6 before the military intelligence agency's announcement The Osa has been used with great effect by the Russian Armed Forces against Ukrainian drones, with some experts linking it to Ukraine scaling down the use of its once-popular Bayraktar drones The system functions as an all-in-one transporter erector launcher and radar (TELAR) vehicle that can detect and attack enemy targets independently Ukraine may be offered "more concrete steps" regarding its NATO membership during the upcoming Ramstein summit Kyiv hopes to secure additional pledges of assistance during the conference on Oct. 12, which will be the last gathering in this format before the U.S. presidential election in early November There are concerns that a return of Republican candidate Donald Trump to the White House could spell a reduction of military aid to Ukraine and an obstacle to the country's NATO aspirations According to the diplomat quoted by the WP NATO members are considering a more definitive proposal regarding the accession but it will likely fall short of what Kyiv has asked for Despite a pledge at the NATO summit in Washington that its membership path is "irreversible," Ukraine is yet to receive a definitive invitation Kyiv revealed that an alliance membership is a key part of a victory plan President Volodymyr Zelensky pitched to the U.S Zelensky will again present the plan, in which Washington identified "a number of productive steps," to the other allies at the Ramstein summit the Ukrainian president also lobbied for lifting restrictions on strikes deep inside Russia with Western arms the diplomat told the WP that Kyiv may receive some sort of support during the Ramstein meeting later this month Lithuanian customs officers discovered military uniforms and camouflage nets on passenger trains traveling from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad to Moscow Kaliningrad Oblast is a small but heavily armed territory lodged between the Baltic Sea and NATO members Poland and Lithuania Lithuanian authorities are regulating the railway connection segment that runs through their territory and connects the exclave to Belarus and Russia During inspections, Lithuanian authorities intercepted four shipments of various military items loaded onto passenger trains between Sept. 27 and Oct. 2, Delfi wrote The shipments included five pairs of military camouflage trousers and several camouflage nets for masking weapons which were found at the Kybartai train station near the exclave's border Vilnius believes that the shipments were intended for use by the Russian Armed Forces deployed in Ukraine The items will be sent to Ukraine as military aid Vilnius has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine since the outbreak of the full-scale war leading to the sharp deterioration of relations with Moscow Another incident on the Kaliningrad-Moscow railway occurred last week One carriage of a train that arrived at the Kena checkpoint at the Lithuanian-Belarusian borders displayed the letter Z a symbol commonly used by Russian invasion forces in Ukraine Another carriage displayed an inscription calling Vilnius The Soviet Union annexed Lithuania along with other Baltic countries in World War II with the nation declaring independence only in 1990 We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent We are here to make sure our readers get quick essential updates about the events in Ukraine Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content Russia is preparing to launch fresh assaults on embattled parts of the front line snaking through Ukraine's southern Zaporizhzhia region that are vital for Kyiv's logistics operations in the east according to a Ukrainian military spokesperson for forces in the south of the war-torn country Russia is readying its forces for "new assault operations" near the Zaporizhzhia city of Orikhiv and the embattled village of Robotyne a spokesperson for Ukrainian forces operating in Zaporizhzhia "The enemy is deploying personnel there and is likely to intensify new assaults in a few days," he said in remarks reported by domestic media Although Moscow has focused much of its efforts on grinding but steady gains in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk it has kept up pressure on Ukrainian defenses further south in neighboring Zaporizhzhia Both Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia—along with Luhansk and Kherson—have been annexed by Russia although it does not exert full control over any of the four mainland regions Russia has simultaneously attacked Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region from May 2024 and contended with Kyiv's surprise offensive into Kursk from early August a small but significant Zaporizhzhia village close to Orikhiv and the Russian-held hub of Tokmak has long been on the front lines during the more than two and a half years of full-scale war It was one of the few villages reclaimed by Kyiv during its 2023 counteroffensive Moscow said in May this year that it had retaken Robotyne put much of Robotyne under Russian control as of Sunday Russia will be able to fire at logistical routes connecting Zaporizhzhia to the east of Ukraine," Voloshyn said "Russia will try to succeed at any cost to cut off our logistics." a spokesperson for Ukraine's 118th Separate Mechanized Brigade fighting in the south told the U.S.-backed Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty outlet earlier this month that Russia was moving armored vehicles toward the front lines in Zaporizhzhia Voloshyn said in late September that Russia was "amassing personnel" in the southeast Ukraine's military reported in an early-morning update on Sunday that Russia had "unsuccessfully" attacked Novodanylivka a settlement southeast of Orikhiv and to the west of Mala Tokmachka Russia's Defense Ministry said in a statement that its forces had attacked several Ukrainian brigades operating around Mala Tokmachka Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground Newsletters in your inbox See all By Alexander Kovalenko Russian forces have carried out a series of massive assault operations The main epicenters were the Orikhiv and Pokrovske directions A distinguishing feature of these assaults was the use of a large number of personnel—on average 350–400 people—as well as an equally significant number of motorcycles the Russian forces used up to a hundred motorcycles during their assault operations assaults typically consisted of systematic suicidal raids by small groups of 3–4 people occasionally supported by armored vehicles with troops crammed inside the superstructures of MT-LBs Such large-scale motorcycle assaults haven't just been rare—they were simply never practiced before When motorcycles first began to be used by the Russian forces as a means of transportation they were involved in assaults in relatively small numbers—10 to 20 units But deploying up to a hundred motorcycle assault troops is a unique phenomenon And it’s entirely possible that this could become a systemic tactic Using motorcycles as assault vehicles may seem surreal but when command has no regard for the lives of its soldiers even an electric scooter might pass for a scarce BTR-82A motorcycles allow for rapid movement over distances When the main objective is to secure a specific point on the map—say a "bush," a "crater," a "small hill," or a demolished village bus stop—they serve the purpose well enough A large number of such two-wheeled suiciders complicates targeting for FPV drones The fact that our units withstood this trial doesn’t mean that tomorrow or in a few days there won’t be 200 or 300 motorcyclists This tactic once again raises the question: why were the fields and roads along potential Russian forces routes not turned into continuous minefields crisscrossed with barbed wire in every direction—width works equally well as an obstacle against both infantry and light vehicles—especially motorcycles it was already clear that anti-personnel fortifications needed to become dominant and even hypertrophied because Russian forces would rely primarily on infantry rather than tanks and armored vehicles as the main element of their advance the integrated use of artillery—especially at battalion level—with cluster munitions FPV drones that detonate midair with large amounts of fragmentation and other area-effect weapons rather than single-target systems could have changed the situation It’s entirely possible that Russian forces may soon transition from mechanized to motorcycle units Especially considering that many of these motorcycles are of Chinese origin Chinese factories produce a huge number of motorcycles daily so Russia—despite its serious difficulties in manufacturing even such types of transport—is unlikely to face a shortage How it will evolve—remains to be seen Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker spokesperson for the Southern Defense Forces in an exclusive commentary given to an Ukrinform correspondent "The enemy in southern Ukraine is adapting its assault tactics they primarily attacked with small infantry groups consisting of five to seven assault vehicles for the second time—first on Sunday and again yesterday—they attempted larger-scale assaults starting with an assault platoon and an assault company they even attempted an assault at the battalion level These actions took place in the Orikhiv sector near the settlements of Stepove between 320 and 350 enemy troops participated in the assault they deployed approximately 40 armored combat vehicles “The air reconnaissance of the Ukrainian Defense Forces spotted the enemy advancing from deep positions early and attacked them with drones and artillery The first hit on enemy armored vehicles occurred eight kilometers from the front line three infantry fighting vehicles were destroyed at that stage with the active phase lasting approximately two and a half hours Ukrainian forces eliminated 29 units of military equipment and killed 140 Russian infantrymen,” the spokesman added Voloshyn stated that the enemy was forced to retreat after failing to achieve its objectives the Ukrainian Defense Forces continued eliminating infantry attempting to take cover “This is the second time in recent days that the enemy has tried to breach this bridgehead using small infantry groups with entire battalions engaged in battle,” he said 125 combat clashes between the Ukrainian Defense Forces and Russian invaders were recorded at the front over the past day According to Ukrinform, Zaporizhzhia Regional Military Administration Head Ivan Fedorov shared the details on Telegram The attack included seven air strikes targeting Huliaipole 265 enemy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) of various types attacked settlements Russian forces also conducted nine strikes using MLRS while 168 artillery attacks targeted Lobkove A total of 25 instances of damage to apartments Russia attacks Orikhiv with guided aerial bombs Russian forces have significantly increased their fire activity in the southern sector of the front with the most active operations taking place in the Hulyaipole direction This was reported by the spokesperson for the Southern Defense Forces Russian forces have greatly increased their fire activity in the southern direction especially intensifying their aerial strikes 14 airstrikes were recorded using 29 guided aerial bombs and 156 unguided rockets Both tactical and bomber aircraft of the Russian forces were actively targeting the positions of the Ukrainian Defense Forces as well as populated areas near the frontline,” Voloshyn said Russian forces used 56 unguided aerial rockets Guided bombs (KABs) were used to strike Stepnohirsk and other settlements in the Zaporizhzhia region Russian forces carried out more than 700 strikes using kamikaze drones “If we look at the overall figures for the Defense Forces of the 3,500 kamikaze drone attacks recorded yesterday That means one in five drones was deployed here in the southern sector,” the spokesperson clarified Voloshyn also reported that 17 assaults by Russian forces were recorded in the past day compared to the usual 8–10 per day last week “The most active area was the Hulyaipole direction where Russian forces tried to break through toward the village of Pryvilne but the Ukrainian Defense Forces held their ground and even attempted a counterattack to reclaim one of the positions that had been completely destroyed by Russian forces,” the spokesperson said Russian forces actively attempted to advance toward the settlements of Shevchenkove and Vilne Pole “Fierce fighting also continued in the Orikhiv direction Although fewer assault operations were carried out there Russian forces are regrouping and rotating units deploying specialized assault groups to frontline positions This suggests they are preparing to resume active operations any day now and attempt to break through our defensive line near Mali Shcherbaky Russian forces continue trying to break through and establish a foothold there,” Voloshyn reported adding that such a foothold would allow Russian forces to carry out artillery strikes on the suburbs of Zaporizhzhia and maintain fire control over the logistical routes leading to Orikhiv The spokesperson emphasized that Russian forces have so far failed to breach the defenses and are suffering heavy losses four assault attempts were made yesterday in the directions of Stepove and Lobkove with Russian forces trying to break through to Kamianske and capture the right bank of the Yanchekrak River “This foothold and the direction toward Kamianske located on the shore of the former Kakhovka Reservoir are currently a priority for Russian forces,” the spokesperson said Russian forces are not giving up attempts to gain control over the entire island area at the mouth of the Dnipro River “Taking advantage of the worsening weather conditions Russian forces have become more active in this direction They carry out three to four assault actions there daily; yesterday two such assaults were recorded,” the spokesperson said Russian forces lost 192 personnel in the south over the past day and about 35 units of motor vehicles and armored equipment Russian forces suffered quite significant losses yesterday,” Voloshyn stated When asked which southern region Russian forces are concentrating their efforts on for an offensive he responded that the focus is primarily on the Orikhiv and Hulyaipole directions “They (Russian forces) are currently concentrating their efforts on two directions: Orikhiv – the front section between Shcherbaky and the settlements of Lobkove and Stepove – where they have gathered a certain number of troops and resources to conduct assaults with small infantry groups; and the Hulyaipole direction – the front section including Shevchenkove and Pryvilne Russian forces are trying to break through to threaten Hulyaipole from the east and maintain fire control over the communication routes from Pokrovske in the Dnipropetrovsk region toward the administrative border with the Zaporizhzhia region These two directions remain among the most threatening,” Voloshyn reported He also noted that the Russian army is not experiencing a shortage of weapons or manpower Russian forces do not appear to be facing any particular shortages and continuously run logistical operations to supply ammunition and certain weapons Although we try to destroy and control those routes and carry out strikes They no longer concentrate everything in one place — they disperse their weapons They do everything to avoid being destroyed,” Voloshyn noted Southern Defense Forces spokesperson Vlad Voloshyn said this in comments to journalists "The overall intensity of shelling and assaults is rising but the enemy is persistently trying to push north and seize our positions Russian forces have already obliterated settlements along the frontline -- Piatykhatky Stepove -- where not a single building remains intact but the vast majority of these assaults fail Russian troops manage to infiltrate certain areas Ukrainian defense forces push them back," Voloshyn said Ukraine has not lost any positions in the Huliaipole and Orikhiv sectors "The frontline is a dynamic environment It’s too early to say whether we've lost or gained ground," Voloshyn added When asked about the possibility of a large-scale Russian offensive on Zaporizhzhia stating that Russia lacks the necessary resources "The enemy is attempting to capture Chasiv Yar they would need to amass a large number of forces and resources the enemy has reinforced its troops but only for conducting assault operations with small infantry groups Our intelligence has not observed a buildup of large forces for a full-scale offensive Hiding such forces would be extremely difficult due to the sheer number of armored vehicles and personnel involved operations of this scale require air support I believe the enemy will continue its current tactic -- persistent assaults by small infantry groups A number of these groups are concentrated in both the Huliaipole and Orikhiv sector but they are being eliminated daily," Voloshyn said He noted that enemy losses in these areas exceed 100 personnel per day along with the destruction of approximately 30–40 vehicles and up to 5–10 various artillery systems When asked why the enemy seeks to capture settlements like Piatykhatky in the Zaporizhzhia region Voloshyn explained that advancing toward certain settlements in this sector would allow the Russian army to establish positions for heavy artillery and multiple-launch rocket systems enabling them to strike the outskirts of Zaporizhzhia and continue terrorizing the local population "This would also serve as a foothold to maintain fire control over key logistical routes leading eastward Ukraine's Defense Forces are actively working to prevent Russian troops from shifting the frontline," Voloshyn said located about 70 kilometers northwest of Donetsk remains one of the most fiercely contested sectors of the front where Russia has concentrated its main offensive efforts since March  (Updated:  May 6, 2025 11:41 am)Ukraine's drones target Moscow second night in a row, Russian official claims, ahead of Victory Day parade. Debris from one of the drones reportedly fell on the Kashirskoye Highway The reported attack comes just days before Russia's Victory Day parade and three-day "truce." Vice President Mike Pence said Putin "only understands power." About 800 million euros ($905 million) will be allocated for the acquisition and installation of anti-tank mines to deter potential aggression  (Updated:  May 6, 2025 9:36 am)War analysisFrance is sending Ukraine more AASM Hammer bombs — here's what they can do Polish President Andrzej Duda said the United States has tools that can effectively influence the Kremlin arguing that only President Donald Trump has real leverage over Russian President Vladimir Putin The number includes 1,430 casualties that Russian forces suffered over the past day "To the Success of Our Hopeless Cause: The Many Lives of the Soviet Dissident Movement" by Benjamin Nathans which covers dissent in the Soviet Union and Russia today Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on May 5 announced they had facilitated Russian journalist Ekaterina Barabash's escape from Russia to France after she fled house arrest on April 21 A Russian drone attack on Odesa Oblast on May 5 killed one and caused damage to local infrastructure "We appreciate that Germany plays a pivotal role in supporting Ukraine throughout the years of war Ukraine is also grateful for your personal commitment," President Volodymyr Zelensky said MPs will be able to ask questions and learn more about the details of the agreement in meetings with Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko May 6-7 MP Serhii Sobolev told the news outlet Suspilne The ratification vote is scheduled for May 8 Attacks against the border villages of Bilopillia and Vorozhba damaged civilian infrastructure and triggered emergency evacuations the regional military administration reported "I look forward to working with President Erdogan on getting the ridiculous war between Russia and Ukraine ended — now!" U.S by Kateryna HodunovaA Ukrainian soldier looks at a destroyed church in Orikhiv (Francis Farrell/Kyiv Independent)The Russian army is deploying trained assault groups to frontline positions in Zaporizhzhia Oblast the spokesperson for the Ukrainian military's Southern Command A day before, Voloshyn said that a new Russian assault in Zaporizhzhia Oblast could begin "any day." In early October, Russian troops reportedly renewed their attack in the Zaporizhzhia sector. Kyiv warned of a potential Russian push in the southern region, just as Moscow's troops continue advancing in Ukraine's east According to Voloshyn Russia is preparing to intensify its offensive toward the town of Orikhiv in Zaporizhzhia Oblast This move will allow the Russian military to gain control of the logistics routes from Zaporizhzhia to eastern Ukraine Another Russian target in Zaporizhzhia Oblast is the Hulyaipole sector where "important" logistics routes for the Russian military are located Russian troops intensified their assault actions towards the village of Vremivka trying to break through Ukrainian defensive positions near the settlements of Rivnopillia and Velyka Novosilka Russian troops have intensified attacks against Zaporizhzhia, targeting its civilian infrastructure with guided aerial bombs Kateryna Hodunova is a News Editor at the Kyiv Independent She previously worked as a sports journalist in several Ukrainian outlets and was the deputy chief editor at Suspilne Sport Kateryna covered the 2022 Olympics in Beijing and was included in the Special Mentions list at the AIPS Sport Media Awards She holds a bachelor's degree in political journalism from Taras Shevchenko University and a master's degree in political science from the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy Russian troops fighting in Ukraine are likely facing water shortages, with some turning to "stagnant puddles" to get water, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in an update on the conflict "Damage inflicted during ongoing Russian strikes against utilities infrastructure is now almost certainly curtailing water supply," the MoD said in an update on the conflict adding that any issues had been "exacerbated by a period of above average temperature in the region." Russian forces have resorted to makeshift water filtration techniques using "stagnant puddles for daily water requirements," per the MoD which adds that this has "highly likely led to an increase of waterborne diseases amongst Russian soldiers." "This shortage of water leading to dehydration and increased risk of infection will almost certainly impact morale and operational effectiveness," it adds The MoD also referenced the account of a pro-Russian military blogger who said that Russian pilots had been limited to one liter of water a day The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends people working in high temperatures drink one cup of water every 15 to 20 minutes — around three-quarters to one quart (almost one liter) per hour Ukraine has experienced record-breaking temperatures this summer Kyiv hit 36 degrees Celsius (96.8 degrees Fahrenheit) the highest temperature on record for that date according to the Borys Sreznevsky Central Geophysical Observatory The high temperatures have led to electricity cuts and negatively impacted grain and oilseed crops, per Reuters That’s according to Dmytro Pletenchuk head of the Strategic Communications Center with Defense Forces South who spoke on the air of the national telethon Kherson region was again hit by KAB bombs but there were no assaults on Krynky in the past day and this may be due to increased pressure in the Orikhiv axis where 19 assaults were reported toward Staromaiorske and Robotyne alone They saw no success as our front line is holding but under our control," said Pletenchuk He also noted that Nestryha Island is another zone of interest to the invaders due to its proximity to Ukrainian positions but Ukrainian defenders stop all Russian attempts at landing in the area "It (Nestryha Island - ed.) is located closer to our settlements and this island still part of the right bank of the Dnipro but the last one before the mouth of the Dnipro and accordingly it would be convenient for them (Russia - ed.) to gain a bridgehead there This is a kind of counterbalance to Krynky but they see no success," the spokesman explained Russian invaders attacked 10 settlements across Kherson region 230 combat engagements took place on the frontline The situation was tense in the Kurakhove sector where the Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled 84 attacks according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine missile troops and artillery of the Ukrainian Defense Forces hit one area of concentration of Russian invaders,” Ukraine's General Staff writes the Russians attacked 21 times near Kindrashivka 32 Russain attacks were repelled in Cherneshchyna Russia attacked 5 times in the area of Chasiv Yar and Stupochky Russians tried to break into Ukraine's defense 7 times in the areas of Dachne One battle is currently underway near Shcherbynivka the Ukrainian Defense Forces stopped 22 Russia's assault and offensive actions towards the localities of Promin where 84 Russian attacks were repelled in the areas of Vovchenka Russians attacked 17 times in the areas of Trudove 6 Russian attacks were stopped in the areas of Novodanylivka Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has lost over 701,000 troops. Over the past day, the Armed Forces of Ukraine eliminated another 1,260 Russian occupants '+n.escapeExpression("function"==typeof(o=null!=(o=r(e,"eyebrowText")||(null!=l?r(l,"eyebrowText"):l))?o:n.hooks.helperMissing)?o.call(null!=l?l:n.nullContext||{},{name:"eyebrowText",hash:{},data:t,loc:{start:{line:28,column:63},end:{line:28,column:78}}}):o)+" \n '+(null!=(o=c(e,"if").call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2PreText"):l,{name:"if",hash:{},fn:n.program(32,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:63,column:20},end:{line:63,column:61}}}))?o:"")+"\n"+(null!=(o=(c(e,"ifAll")||l&&c(l,"ifAll")||n.hooks.helperMissing).call(r,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Text"):l,null!=l?c(l,"cta2Link"):l,{name:"ifAll",hash:{},fn:n.program(34,t,0),inverse:n.noop,data:t,loc:{start:{line:64,column:20},end:{line:70,column:30}}}))?o:"")+" We know a battle took place south-east of Orikhiv in Zaporizhzhia province over 7-8 June which resulted in the loss of a Ukrainian armoured infantry company equipped with Western vehicles There is sufficient reporting and imagery to compose a version of what happened This article examines the battle at Orikhiv and draws tentative tactical lessons The Ukrainian armed forces refer to fronts as ‘directions’.  In this case, the term is apt.  Ukrainian-held Orikhiv – pre-war – was an unremarkable settlement with around 14,000 inhabitants it was settled by Mennonites and Lutherans it was at the centre of the area held by the anarchist Nestor Makhno and fought over by the White and Red Russians it was from Orikhiv the Red Army launched its southern offensive finally causing the defeat and flight of the White Russians Roughly 45 kilometres to the south on the T0408 is Tokmak And another 60 kilometres beyond Tokmak on the T0401 is Melitopol A successful advance in this direction would threaten to divide Russian-occupied Southern Ukraine and sever the land bridge to Crimea Command of the Ukrainian ‘operational-strategic group of forces Tavria’ is currently vested in Brigadier-General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi who previously commanded forces on the Kherson front He has held his current post since the autumn of last year deliberate manner but not without the occasional smile His immediate opponent is Colonel-General Alexander Romanchuk Romanchuk was born in Luhansk and is a former commander of 29th Combined Arms Army (Eastern Military District) and Deputy Commander of the Southern Military District he appears to report to the airborne Colonel-General Mikhail Teplinksy apparently in overall command of the group of forces ‘Vostok’ (‘South’) Brigadier-General Oleksandr Tarnavskyi (left) and Colonel-General Alexander Romanchuk (right) Sources: Ukrainian Military Media Centre and Russian MOD The first and second echelon defences appear to have been held by elements from 291st and 70th Motor Rifle Regiments (42nd Motorized Rifle Division Southern Military District) and 22nd and 45th Separate Guards Special Purpose (GRU) Brigades 58th Combined Arms Army is under the command of Major-General Ivan Popov The GRU forces were believed to provide specialist reconnaissance and detection capabilities such as ground radar On 7 June, Russian milbloggers reported that Ukrainian forces attacked along the Mala Tokmachka-Polohy line to break through the Russian defensive line between Robotyne and Verbove (both about 15 kilometres south-east of Orikhiv) Russian sources acknowledged that Ukrainian forces broke through the first line of defence and assessed the Ukrainian objective was to advance to the line of the N08 Polohy-Voskresenka highway another advance was preceded by preparatory fires The Ukrainian Army seeks to exploit its advantage in night vision devices Russian defenders were alert to the Ukrainian actions and ready to respond Source: Militaryland.net and Google Maps It is not clear what happened between dawn and mid-morning Imagery shows an armoured infantry company The armoured infantry company appeared to comprise 12 Bradley M2s three Leopard 2A4s and a small number of support vehicles including a T-55 engineer vehicle with mine plough and roller and an unknown vehicle that deployed a Pearson mine plough The attempt to plough a safe lane through the Russian minefield failed.  The lead Leopard 2A4 struck a mine and lost a track (this tank was actually recovered; the crew was unharmed) Source: Russian MOD The Leopard 2A4 was recovered.  Behind the stricken vehicles is a ‘collector’s piece’: a turret-less T-55 chassis engineering vehicle with Russian KMT-series mine plough/roller.  Source: Military Review Major-General Popov praised the 58 Combined Arms Army units that laid the minefields The minefield undeniably checked the Ukrainian advance and the ensuing chaos led to the advance’s collapse The Russians were aware a Ukrainian advance was underway It was possible to cue artillery fire effectively In Romanchuk’s account: ‘artillery units intended for counter-battery combat suppressed enemy artillery in firing positions And then they continued to hit the forces and means of the first echelon units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.’ Artillery fire starts landing on the Ukrainian armoured infantry company.  The video shows that one unidentified vehicle detonated.  Another two started smoking.  Source: Russian MOD Once the armoured infantry company stalled, ‘the crews of anti-tank missile systems of special forces units joined in the fire engagement of the enemy At least one and probably more attack helicopter (Ka-52) sorties were cued.  Each sortie comprised two aircraft.  The aircraft launched Vikhr-guided missiles and reportedly enjoyed some success The lack of air defence cover meant the attack helicopter crews could pick targets with impunity Combat camera footage from a Ka-52   Source: Izvestia According to Romanchuk ‘He [the Ukrainian armoured infantry company] was hit by bomber aircraft as well as in the course of advancing to the line of transition to the attack.’ If this is the case there is no evidence the air raids were successful Russian Su-25SMs launch unguided rockets and drop ‘dumb bombs’ Russian milbloggers reported superior Russian EW capabilities disrupted the Ukrainian attack, suppressing communications and GPS.  Ukrainian attempts to use EW against the Russian reconnaissance and control capabilities were reportedly less successful it appears Lancet kamikaze drones were used to destroy soft-skin vehicles that had taken cover in a tree line Source: Izvestia Ten per cent appear to have been lost in one action Soldiers need success to believe they can prevail and win The breach of prepared defensive positions is a significant combat engineering operation The successful breach of minefields involves a combination of explosive hoses Both sides have now attempted minefield breaches just using ploughs (in the Russian case the hapless 155th Marine Brigade at Vuhledar) The sappers need protection: the cover of night A breach is not a breach until the length of the safe lane is proven Only then does the exploitation force enter the breach Advancing behind mine ploughs in the hope that all mines have been cleared is risky The abandoned Pearson mine plough; attempting a minefield breach just by ploughing was over-optimistic   Source: Military Review Other tactical lessons are old but seemingly unlearned Tactical Lesson 2. A chief lesson of both World Wars is that you must ‘lean into the barrage’.  There is little value in ‘preparatory fires’.  The Ukrainian barrage was a waste of precious shells.  According to Romanchuk Ukrainian forces telegraphed the ground attack with extensive artillery preparation of the battlefield Dismounted Troops’ vulnerability in the open exacerbated today by the ubiquity of surveillance capabilities such as mini-drones Once the Ukrainian armoured infantry company became strung out On-call attack helicopters (Ka-52s) and close support aircraft (Su-25SMs) can inflict significant damage to stranded vehicles Sergio Miller is a retired British Army Intelligence Corps officer He was a regular contributor and book reviewer forBritish Army Review He is the author of a two-part history of the Vietnam War (Osprey/Bloomsbury) and is currently drafting a history of the Russian invasion of Ukraine You don't have permission to access the page you requested What is this page?The website you are visiting is protected.For security reasons this page cannot be displayed Moscow's forces are pushing towards two towns in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region where fighting intensified this week after several months of a stagnant front Russian state media reported Sunday.  Russian-installed official in the region Vladimir Rogov said offensive actions were concentrated around two towns: Orikhiv around 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of Ukrainian-controlled regional capital Zaporizhzhia especially in two directions: Orikhiv and Hulyaipole," Rogov was quoted as saying by the Ria Novosti news agency.  He said there was active fighting in those areas the Ukrainian army said "more than 15 settlements were affected by artillery fire" in Zaporizhzhia.  Rogov announced a "local offensive" around Orikhiv and said the Russian army had taken control of the village of Lobkove He also said this week that fighting has "sharply increased" in the southern region.  the Russian army said its troops held "offensive actions" in the Zaporizhzhia region and claimed to have "taken more advantageous lines and positions." The front in southern Ukraine has been considerably quieter recently than in the east with Moscow withdrawing from the major city of Kherson in November.  Russia claims to have annexed the Zaporizhzhia region along with three other Ukrainian regions but does not control it in its entirety.  While Moscow controls large swathes of the southern part of the region its main city Zaporizhzhia and northern part did not fall to Russian forces.  Russia has vowed to push Ukrainian forces out of them Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." 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are revealed Magazine Subscribers only For Jewish cartoonist Joann Sfar 2025."> Pixels Subscribers only Golden Owl solution is revealed but leaves players of 31-year hunt disappointed Pixels Subscribers only Secrets of decades-long Golden Owl treasure hunt to be revealed Lifestyle Inside Chanel's French leather workshops Culture Subscribers only The marvelous bronzes of Angkor on display at the Musée Guimet in Paris Just six kilometers from the front line the nearly-deserted town is home to soldiers engaged in one of the counter-offensive moves launched by the Ukrainian army in recent days By Rémy Ourdan (Orikhiv (Zaporizhzhia province A Ukrainian armored vehicle rolls through downtown Orikhiv ADRIEN VAUTIER / LE PICTORIUM FOR LE MONDE Throughout the village Some soldiers returned from the front to rest for the day others were preparing to go back to the front line after a little sleep They were occupying the empty houses of this city shattered by shelling where Kyiv's army has launched one of the counter-offensives aimed at recapturing territory occupied by the Russian army the more or less long-term military objective is the reconquest of Melitopol and of the towns bordering the Sea of Azov: Berdiansk and above all Mariupol which has become the symbol of Russia's destructive resolve in Ukraine Orikhiv is typical of the war-torn localities close to the front a week after the start of the Ukrainian counter-offensives the town with a pre-war population of 14,000 bore witness to the activities of a very active front with a stream of armored vehicles going into battle take the wounded to the hospital in the other direction You have 76.03% of this article left to read Lecture du Monde en cours sur un autre appareil Vous pouvez lire Le Monde sur un seul appareil à la fois Ce message s’affichera sur l’autre appareil Parce qu’une autre personne (ou vous) est en train de lire Le Monde avec ce compte sur un autre appareil Vous ne pouvez lire Le Monde que sur un seul appareil à la fois (ordinateur En cliquant sur « Continuer à lire ici » et en vous assurant que vous êtes la seule personne à consulter Le Monde avec ce compte Que se passera-t-il si vous continuez à lire ici Ce dernier restera connecté avec ce compte Vous pouvez vous connecter avec votre compte sur autant d’appareils que vous le souhaitez mais en les utilisant à des moments différents Nous vous conseillons de modifier votre mot de passe Votre abonnement n’autorise pas la lecture de cet article merci de contacter notre service commercial a shell can be watched plummeting straight down towards him Maybe the soldier heard the drone and scrambled under the vehicle just in time to save his life This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Not so quiet” Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents George Simion will face Nicusor Dan, a mainstream candidate, in a run-off There are five luxuries it can no longer feasibly afford Friedrich Merz’s career is one of unforced errors and puzzling missteps. But he is serious about Europe Both Donald Trump and Ukraine’s diplomats will consider it a success The few residents who remain in the shattered town await the next offensive we are not being fired on today,” said Lyubov Yarova a council member coordinating humanitarian support in Orikhiv because silence means they are going to try to advance again.” Such are the desperate calculations in this shattered frontline town Russian forces are just a few kilometres away and the town is almost totally abandoned. Yet a reduction in the near-constant sound of bombardment – which has damaged or destroyed every building in sight – nevertheless signals to Yarova that even worse may be in store Yarova was speaking outside the heavily damaged town hall pressed into service an aid distribution hub and a so-called invincibility point where the few remaining residents can access the internet and warm themselves.  While generators hum loudly a truck is preparing to make the rounds to supply fresh water to the scattered households The sound of rocket fire on the town’s outskirts is ever-present. “During last month the Russians were advancing on our city from a few directions So we couldn't even come out from our basements We hid there so not as to be shot and killed,” she said “My personal feeling is that they’re preparing to advance again.” With Russia concentrating forces in Bakhmut and other points in the Donbas such moves could be feints to keep Ukraine forces alert But they could equally be indications of early battles in the well-trailed new offensive. Whatever the timeframe the few remaining residents of Orikhiv and its surrounding villages – no more than 2,000 now from a pre-invasion population of 20,000 – are sure they will see more war and probably soon. In a triangle connecting the industrial city of Zaporizhzhia Russian-held Melitopol and the devastated seaside steelworks town of Mariupol Orikhiv is right in the middle at an intersection of several key roads. If Russia aims to open a new front if Ukraine aims to split the Russian territory the most obvious route runs through Orikhiv to the Azov coast Any location with a concentration of Ukraine troops will attract fire.  There would seem to be little of value otherwise to fight for in this town The roof and upper floor of the pink town hall are smashed a grad missile shell remains cratered into a tree. Across the street is a sprawling building its white entrance emblazoned with commemoration of its service as the town’s first girls’ school  Over recent months it was used as a distribution centre for humanitarian aid windows all boarded. The devastation stretches in every direction hardly a single structure is untouched – roofs collapsed shrapnel marks omnipresent. The town is so underpopulated that it is hard to find residents along the deserted streets A drive around the Cheremushky neighbourhood at one end of town previously home to several thousand people Only cats and dogs roam.  In a small field behind some houses in the shadow of a row of heavily damaged residential blocks the other with long hair swept back in green bandana – walk by on sentry duty lives in one of the blocks and helps distribute humanitarian aid. “The heaviest days were in the middle of January There were hundreds of rocket launches a day,” he said We could hear machine gun fire and fighting. “Thanks to the fact that people left town there are not so many casualties,” he continued There are no more than 30 in total over the network of blocks.  A route back to the centre via an underpass offers a shortcut but the bridge pier is marked  with the word Mines with a skull drawing. Just past a checkpoint a woman is collecting walnuts. “The bombing was so intense…” said Iryna we are only afraid of the weapons they use.” She praises the workers in the city who provide aid and water and do their best to keep the lights on noting that two young electricians were killed “They were not afraid,” she says. A few streets down a man surrounded by several dogs seems happy to be out of his house it was scary and we were hiding in our basement,” said Oleksandr Lanchyk because you can’t save yourself if a rocket is launched at your house.”  he says that only ten are left. Lanchyk’s roof was hit by a shell in October He and his son were able to extinguish the flames only for the house to be struck again some time later Two neighbours were killed by a direct hit. At the town hall council member Yarova explains that Orihkiv starting taking shelling early in the war and the majority of the population left in the spring The remaining residents are either elderly rescue workers and those like herself and a handful of others with the city providing aid and support to keep the town functioning A small police force is also in place.  The town has adequate humanitarian aid but most of the city is without electricity which also means no running water – hence the deliveries and soldiers are asked to take people needing urgent care to a neighbouring town or to Zaporizhzhia. “In peacetime I am the director of a children’s art centre,” Yarova says “I have tears in my eyes when I think back to how we lived and worked There are up to 30 children in the city now and we are still taking care of them.” “I never get used to that,” she continued “And it's painful to look at the town and the state it’s in to meet victory in my city and to rebuild the city after we have won.” Translation and additional reporting by Mykhaylo Shtekel and Anastasia Kucher Journalists need training and support to properly cover war crimes trials Activists warn that vulnerable domestic workers risk abuse often returning with serious health conditions sacrifice and luck secured a vital early win in the south-eastern campaign Some women face Adana's male-dominated traffic chaos for a living Recent murder highlights widespread discrimination and violence against LGBTI people Open source intelligence (OSINT) can provide facts – but impatient Tel +44 (0)20 7831 1030 Tel +1 202 393 5641 IWPR is registered as a charity in the United Kingdom (charity reg no: 2744185); in the United States as a not-for-profit organisation with tax-exempt status under IRS section 501(c)(3); and as a charitable foundation in The Netherlands The opinions expressed on iwpr.net are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Institute for War & Peace Reporting Site design by IWPR. Developed by AG Prime. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Residents of the city of Orikhiv in southeastern Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region continue to live on humanitarian aid distributed in the region, amid intense Russian attacks. In Orikhiv, located only 8 kilometers (4.9 miles) from the front line, the scars of the Russia-Ukraine war run deep more than a year after it began, as electricity, natural gas, and water services remain cut off due to the severe damage to infrastructure in and around the city. Orikhiv's remaining residents must regularly venture into the city in fear of the intense Russian attacks to reach distribution centers for humanitarian aid before returning to their homes as quickly as possible. "We live in difficult conditions. The situation has been the same for a year, but I don't intend to leave and go anywhere," said Sergey, a 50-year-old resident who did not want to give his surname. Sergey told Anadolu in an interview that civilians tend not to leave their homes as they do not know when and where the next attack will take place. Valodya Chubenko, a 73-year-old resident, also spoke to Anadolu, saying that the city has suffered heavy artillery attacks due to its proximity to the front. "They open fire in this direction daily. Attacks happen almost every day. The atmosphere has been a little calmer for the last two or three days, but generally, the situation is heavy," Chubenko said. He added that the distribution of humanitarian aid was crucial for the population due to the lack of electricity, water, and gas for the past seven months. Tatiana Halchenskaya, another resident, told Anadolu that she preferred to stay at her home in the city, even though it was dangerous. "As a woman, it's difficult to live under these attacks, but we're strong and this city will survive as long as we stay in Orikhiv," she said. Now in its second year, the Russia-Ukraine war has so far killed more than 8,100 civilians, with nearly 13,500 more wounded, according to the latest UN figures. Today’s Paper#masthead-section-label, #masthead-bar-one { display: none }Russia-Ukraine War By Thomas Gibbons-Neff and Lauren Leatherby Sept The bloody drive toward Tokmak is one small part of a front line that extends several hundred miles part of a broader push in which Ukrainian forces are trying to break through elsewhere in the south and east Source: Institute for the Study of War with American Enterprise Institute’s Critical Threats Project military analysts thought Ukraine’s summer counteroffensive would attempt to split Russian supply lines in the south driving a wedge between western Russia and Russian-occupied Crimea The Russian military expected the same and prepared accordingly dug fresh fortifications and scattered land mines across the relatively flat fields of Ukraine’s south even with fresh supplies of advanced western tanks and equipment it faced a prepared defense of the sort not seen in Europe since World War II troops and other armored vehicles to dense minefields and prepared Russian troops Kyiv’s forces initially used American tactics better suited for the last century than the current-day battlefield in Ukraine the fighting has concentrated around the small hamlet of Robotyne The Ukrainians are fighting to widen the breach with hopes they can capitalize on their hard-earned gains and inch forward to the next line of Russian defenses This is what Robotyne looked like a year ago: occupied by Russia untouched by battle and home to around a hundred people As Ukrainian forces pushed closer to Robotyne over the summer and trees and vegetation that concealed Russian trenches and positions were slowly sheared away And the farmland surrounding it looked more like the surface of the moon Brady Africk’s analysis of imagery from Copernicus (Russian fortifications) The fight for Robotyne played out in official statements and grainy videos posted on social media leaving the scope of destruction and the scale of violence in the fight for such a small tract of land mostly at arm’s length It is unclear how many soldiers died — on both sides — during the battle but overhead imagery suggested the cost was disproportionate to the amount of land retaken the Ukrainian armed forces released footage showing its forces entering what remains of the small enclave images that revealed bombed-out fields and roads and destroyed homes Dozens of craters filled the small area shown in one photo a hint at the sheer amount of ammunition required to win control of a town just over a mile wide Ukraine’s gains around Robotyne could dictate the next moves in its southern campaign It has moved substantial resources into the area to stop Ukraine from pushing further south to their next objective and Russia’s main line of defense around the village of Verbove There have been reports of Ukrainian gains and Russian counterattacks but the progress of the offensive is unclear The currency of the counteroffensive is ammunition This is what is certain: More people will die more buildings will burn and the surrounding farmlands will be seeded with land mines and unexploded shells that probably will take decades to clear Satellite imagery comes from CNES/Airbus and Maxar Technologies via Google Maps Russian fortifications are based on data from Brady Africk and have been simplified