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Today, the biggest news comes from the Zaporizhia direction.
Following a lull in activity, Russians became complacent and careless. Ukrainian commanders exploited this, launching a series of lightning-fast attacks that cleared Russians out of three settlements in the Zaporizhia direction.
The goal of the Ukrainian forces here is to improve their tactical positions and restore control over key terrain to be able to better defend against the incoming Russian assaults. Notably, by liberating Mali Shcherbaky, Shcherbaky, and parts of Stepove, Ukrainian soldiers are better positioned to conduct further active defense or counterassault operations. These three villages are vital to defend the more important settlements in the Zaporizhia region, namely Orikhiv. The villages are located along the T0812 motorway, which connects Luhove to Orikhiv, providing Russia with a key logistical line. The Russians could amass troops, stash equipment and supplies in these villages, while the road offers them a quick way towards Orikhiv to drive along it with their armored columns.
If we take a look at the topographic map, all of the villages are located on key hill ridges looking down on the Russian positions further south and west, providing observation points at the highs, control over approaches, and better fire control.
The Ukrainian approach is to push the frontline southward with well-coordinated small unit assaults, using battle-hardened veteran troops. The area’s openness, combined with extensive minefields and Russian drone dominance, severely limits the feasibility of armored assaults. Consequently, the operation relied on surprise and rapid execution with quads and motorcycles to achieve its objectives before Russian forces could effectively respond. Before mounting an assault, Ukrainian artillery softened Russia’s defenses, while drones provided surgical fire support to eliminate Russian infantry and equipment.
The main Ukrainian advantages are their extensive fortifications, which provide cover and staging ground for not only defense but counterattack operations as well. Ukrainian supply lines are short in this sector, which makes these villages tenable, allowing them to consolidate the newly gained positions.
Ukrainian forces also control vital positions on the high ground, which allows them to conduct the final approach of the assault from even ground. Furthermore, Ukrainian drone coverage is extensive, reconnaissance drones provide live footage to the commanders, while strike drones can engage enemy troops and armor 15 kilometers from the zero line, to blunt their ability to counterattack.
Russians are at a disadvantage here because some units were redeployed to other fronts, which means their positions were undermanned, and the Ukrainian forces could capitalize on it. This sector was mostly quiet since the Ukrainian counteroffensive in 2023, which meant that the Ukrainian attack came as a surprise.
Footage shows how Ukraine bombarded the Russian defenses with artillery and FPV drones to disorganize the defending troops and cause mayhem before they dispatched their forces. Elite units of the 33rd Assault Regiment and 24th “Aidar” Battalion approached the settlements with quad and motorbikes to quickly move in and avoid being hit by Russian FPV drones. While the veteran fighters of the Aidar battalion spearheaded the assault, the 33rd Regiment provided mechanized support and coordinated infantry assaults with other units.
After dismounting, these units started flanking and encircling the disorganized Russian defenders, who retreated to their strongpoints inside the villages. The Ukrainian forces exploited the Russian flanks near Kamianske and encircled pockets in Shcherbaky and Stepove. After that, Ukrainian soldiers systematically cleared buildings and trenches of the remaining Russians who refused to surrender, while capturing the encircled troops to expand the exchange fund.
As a result of the successful Ukrainian counterattack, they advanced up to 3.5 km and over 5 kilometers along the frontline and took Mali Shcherbaky and Shcherbaky under control, while fighting continued for Stepove.
Overall, Russia intended to gain territory in the Zaporizhia sector and to apply pressure on Ukraine from the south as well. Ukrainian forces didn’t wait in their fortifications for the Russians to mount an assault on them; instead, they chose active defense and conducted a daring counterattack, which led to a tactical success. With these positions regained, Ukraine can better defend against future Russian assaults, which would need to recover these 3 settlements before attacking further north.
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