Ukrainians push hard: Russians retreat in all 3 directions

Today, there is important news from the Zaporizhia direction.

Here, what started as a limited Ukrainian clearing operation has now grown into a full-fledged riverbank counteroffensive, as the stakes in the Battle for Zaporizhia rise higher than ever before. Amid the Russians approaching the regional capital from the south, Ukraine has sent its best special forces operators to break the Russian assault.

Russian forces have been steadily infiltrating deeper along the riverbank axis, trying to exploit terrain and proximity to push closer to the major city of Zaporizhia. If they manage to do this, they will achieve their critical objective of bringing the regional capital within effective artillery range while also placing key Ukrainian supply routes under constant fire control.

This is no empty threat as the city of Zaporizhia already came under Russian fire, as Russian long-range artillery launched devastating strikes that left damaged infrastructure, shattered windows, and multiple civilians injured. However, Ukrainian drone operators quickly detected the Russian Uragan multiple launch rocket systems while on such a fire mission and destroyed the launchers within minutes, denying the Russians the ability to operate safely.

As the Ukrainians showcased their ability to take out enemy artillery and prevent shelling of the city, the Russians needed to push Ukrainians further away. Taking a look at the topographic map reveals that Russians aim to secure the key elevated area between Stepnohirsk, Lukianivske, and Primorske. This would allow them to replicate their earlier advances from Kamianske further south, consolidate positions, and push nearly nine kilometers closer to Zaporizhia, ensuring safe shelling of the civilian population center by increasing the distance from Ukrainian drone operators.

To achieve this, Russian forces launched coordinated infiltration attempts along three main axes. The first followed the riverbank toward Primorske, using small, dispersed groups to slip through the urban riverbank. The second pushed along the central M eighteen road toward Zaporizhia, leveraging Stepnohirsk as a staging point. The third targeted Lukianivske, with infiltration routes passing through the local solar farm and the surrounding terrain.

Knowing the risk of allowing a breakthrough through any of these vectors, Ukrainian forces responded decisively, and along the Primorske axis, their drone operators played a central role. They detected small Russian groups attempting to infiltrate in teams of two to four soldiers, and targeted them before they could consolidate. Geolocated footage shows one infiltration operation, in which a group of seven Russian soldiers gathered and hid for over a week in a destroyed building complex, hoping to establish a foothold.

Ukrainian special forces moved in, engaging the position after the Russians refused to surrender. Five enemies were eliminated, and two captured after the fighting started, with the Ukrainians securing the area and preventing its future use as an infiltration point.

On the central road used as a middle vector, the fighting was more intense due to the proximity to Stepnohirsk. Russian forces benefited from the buildings in the nearby settlement and attempted to advance using FPV drones to suppress Ukrainian counterattacks, but Ukrainian reconnaissance quickly identified their infantry positions regardless.

Coordinated counterattacks followed, as Ukrainian infantry moved through trench networks under constant drone threat, engaging in close-quarters combat while systematically clearing Russian positions. Geolocated video evidence shows Ukrainian troops advancing trench by trench, neutralizing enemy fighters and shooting down Russian drones, ultimately dismantling the Russian push along this axis.

Towards Lukianivske, the battle unfolded around the solar farm and nearby forest strips, as Ukrainian special forces conducted aggressive reconnaissance and strike missions, moving under the cover of armored vehicles before dismounting and advancing through wooded terrain. Despite repeated exposure to Russian FPV drone activity, they pressed forward, locating enemy foxholes and engaging in close combat. Grenades and coordinated fire cleared entrenched positions, with follow-up footage confirming Ukrainian troops had fully cleared Lukianivske, along with showcasing a captured Russian VDV officer organizing the defense, proving that the settlement had been fully returned to Ukrainian control.

Overall, Ukrainian counterattacks across all three directions achieved their objectives, overturning the Russian assaults. In doing so, they not only regained ground but also prevented Russian forces from expanding in the area, opening multiple attack vectors and placing the city under sustained threat.  Ukrainian forces disrupted the offensive at its most dangerous stage, preserving both the city’s safety and the integrity of its defensive lines, all the while setting the stage for a continued and decisive push forward.