Filatov noted that in the near future, in his opinion, “everyone will understand why things are going this way.” The media noted that the 1st OSHP is now in the area of counterattack operations of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the southern sector of the front.
Perun called the situation there “very dynamic,” comparing it with the situation in the Dobropol direction, which had already been stabilized to some extent.
“The tension has not been completely relieved, but the idea, the plan that the enemy set for himself was completely destroyed. It’s about the same here. The enemy views the Zaporozhye direction as the next direction of influence on the Armed Forces,” Filatov said.
He explained that the Russian Federation wants to reach “that area of the terrain where it will be possible to calmly reach with artillery and inflict powerful fire damage,” because, obviously, this will have significant consequences for the industry of Ukraine and the stability of the Armed Forces.
When asked whether the Russian troops have forces in this direction, Filatov replied that the occupiers “are more than enough to realize all their plans at the moment.” At the same time, he emphasized that thanks to the experienced Ukrainian command, the defense forces manage to “maintain a certain balance and preserve territory, preserve life to the extent that does not allow the enemy to realize all his strategic plans.”
Context
After a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian occupation forces, in particular, captured part of the territories of the Zaporozhye region. Now intense clashes continue in the Donetsk and Zaporozhye regions.
In October, the Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the aggressor country of the Russian Federation, Valery Gerasimov, reported to the illegitimate Russian President Vladimir Putin about the Russian offensive in the direction of Zaporozhye.
On November 30, the Ukrainian Armed Forces announced that the Russian army was attacking, trying to enter Gulyai-Polye.
On December 25, the Ukrainian army already reported fighting in the city.
On December 27, Gerasimov reported to Putin about the alleged capture of Gulyai-Polye and Stepnogorsk, but the southern defense forces denied this. They admitted that part of Gulyai-Polye is controlled by the Russians, but a large part of the city continues to be held by Ukrainian forces. In addition, in Stepnogorsk, Ukrainian units “are still conducting defensive actions,” the southern defense forces added.
Ukrainian military intelligence called the capture of the entire Zaporozhye region one of the Russian Federation’s goals in 2026.
On January 2, 2026, a representative of the defense forces of southern Ukraine, Vladislav Voloshin, stated that the Ukrainian military was holding defense in Gulyai-Polye, where Russian occupation forces had entered. He noted that the city is a large gray zone for which battles are being waged; it is virtually destroyed.
