Southern Forces Group Refutes Reports That Russian Troops Could Enter Zaporizhzhia This Winter

(MENAFN- UkrinForm) At the same time, attempts by the enemy to operate in the direction of the city in small infantry groups cannot be completely ruled out, but there is currently no reason to say that such a development is highly likely, Anastasiia Shevchenko, spokesperson for the Southern Forces Group, told Ukrinform.

“The information currently being circulated by some media outlets and Telegram channels about the possibility of enemy troops directly entering Zaporizhzhia in winter 2026 is untrue. The possibility of enemy attempts to operate in the direction of Zaporizhzhia in small infantry groups cannot be completely ruled out. At the same time, there is currently no reason to say that such a development is highly likely,” she said.

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Within the operational area of the Southern Forces Group, the Defense Forces control enemy logistics routes and routes of advance. The line of contact is currently approximately 30 km from Zaporizhzhia, meaning the enemy will not be able to infiltrate that distance undetected, according to Shevchenko,

“Our unmanned systems promptly detect enemy personnel, after which fire is directed against them,” the spokesperson stressed.

She also emphasized that no changes in the Russian forces' pattern of operations indicating preparations for a direct advance into Zaporizhzhia are currently being observed.

“The enemy has not abandoned its plans to capture Zaporizhzhia, but at present it does not have sufficient forces and capabilities to advance directly toward the city,” Shevchenko said.

At the same time, the spokesperson noted that on certain sections of the front, particularly the Orikhiv axis, the enemy is attempting to infiltrate in small infantry groups. Such activity has been recorded near the settlements of Mali Shcherbaky, Stepove and Shcherbaky, but the enemy has achieved no success.

“Within the operational area of the Southern Forces Group, Russian forces continue to suffer significant personnel losses,” she concluded.

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As previously reported, Dmytro“Perun” Filatov, commander of the 1st Separate Assault Regiment named after Dmytro Kotsyubailo, said that individual Russian infantry groups could enter Zaporizhzhia as early as this winter.

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