Ukrainian Kraken operators stop Russian infiltrators cold near Stepnohirsk

Today, the biggest news comes from the Zaporizhia direction.

Here, Russian forces are actively exploiting the fog to infiltrate Stepnohirsk. However, once the fog lifted, the infiltrators were swiftly detected, prompting Ukrainian command to deploy the elite Kraken unit, which moved in to halt the advance and engage the Russian paratroopers in a decisive clash.

Russia’s tactical objective in this area is to bring Stepnohirsk under its control. Russian forces seek to capture Stepnohirsk because it is the final settlement in this direction, and there are only large open fields beyond it, which would facilitate an advance along the E105 highway.

Pushing in this direction would also allow the Russians to envelop Prymorske from the east and push the Ukrainian defenders into the drained Dnipro reservoir.

To achieve this, Russian forces are attempting to conduct infiltration operations into the village along the road from the southwest, while attacking the high-rise and school complex south of Stepnohirsk through the fields. Russia’s advantage lies in its ability to exploit the absence of substantial Ukrainian fortifications in this sector, as there are only scattered trenches. Russian infiltration teams are masking their actions by operating during adverse weather conditions, such as fog, to infiltrate the small cottages located in the southern part of Stepnohirsk.

If we take a look at the topographic map, we can see that Russian forces additionally hold the high ground south of the village. Specifically, this affords them superior observation points and effective fire control over the southern sector of the settlement, enabling accurate and responsive close fire support from their mortar, sniper, and drone units.

However, Ukrainian forces retain defensive positions on the key hills to the north and west of Stepnohirsk, overlooking the surrounding lowlands where Russian assault elements need to advance through. Although Russian forces can leverage their elevated positions to establish fire control over the forward sector of the town, any direct assault requires movement through the lowlands, forcing them to advance from their high ground into areas dominated in turn by Ukrainian control.

Lastly, despite the lack of heavy fortifications in the town itself, Stepnohirsk’s western flank is protected by a fortified trench complex, while from the east, the area is secured by the main Ukrainian defensive line, making a major Russian outflanking maneuver unlikely and forcing them to conduct direct frontal assaults.

After initially exploiting adverse weather for infiltration, Russian forces must stay moving or risk becoming sitting ducks, while supply drops from drones only further reveal their positions to Ukrainian forces once the weather clears. After spotting the Russians, the Ukrainian high command dispatches elite operators of the Kraken unit to clear the houses. Kraken falls under Ukraine’s Main Directorate of Intelligence, and specializes in reconnaissance and sabotage, meaning they are able to operate effectively in small units and are experienced in rapid in-and-out operations, attacking Russians before they are able to leverage their firepower from the hills beyond. 

Geolocated footage from Stepnohirsk documents three elite Ukrainian special forces operators conducting methodical close-quarters clearing operations within the village. The operators approached the target structure, initiating the engagement by firing through entry points to suppress the Russian soldiers inside, to then throwing in grenades. Following the explosions, the operators advanced to systematically clear the interior. Upon locating a Russian soldier, additional grenades were employed to flush the individual from cover, while each room was methodically addressed and blind spots preemptively engaged with sustained small-arms fire.

This aggressive approach is intended to ensure that enemy soldiers are disoriented, quickly wounded, or neutralized before the soldiers enter, significantly reducing the risk of encountering prepared kill zones within the building. As a result of this carefully coordinated operation, four Russian paratroopers were eliminated, and their associated equipment and ammunition were successfully secured.

Overall, Russians attempted to utilize bad weather conditions to achieve a foothold in the town, but when the fog cleared, elite Ukrainian forces came to clear them out, resetting their progress to zero. The deployment of specialized special forces in this sector specifically counters the Russian assaults by keeping them engaged with localized counterattacks. Further Russian small assault groups are expected to continue showing up, as the secure flanks mean there is no way for Russian mechanized forces to outflank Ukrainian positions, which is why the frontal assaults will continue, and Russia’s paratrooper elite will be decimated in their latest Zaporizhia excursion.