Ukrainian counterattacks push Russians back and retake key ridge terrain

Ukrainian forces have executed localized counterattacks in the Huliaipole sector, disrupting Russian efforts to establish fire control over the Orikhiv supply route. By advancing up to nine kilometers and reclaiming settlements along river lines, Ukraine has neutralized the immediate threat to the Zaporizhzhia-Orikhiv ground line of communication. The Russian objective centered on seizing a strategic ridge to facilitate long-range drone interdiction. Control of this high ground would have enabled a logistical encirclement, using FPV drones to isolate the Orikhiv garrison through persistent attrition. Ukraine exploited a temporary degradation in Russian coordination, linked to signal disruptions, to clear forward positions and push Russian units away from the critical topography. While this maneuver has preserved the integrity of the supply corridor, the Russian operational intent to dominate the ridge remains a primary risk factor for the stability of the southern front.

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