Evgeny Balitsky, the acting head of the Zaporozhye region, shared via the telegraph channel that Ukrainian forces have been attempting daily offensives toward the Orekhovsky direction, but those efforts have not met success. He emphasized that the situation in this sector remains tense, with the enemy pressing forward aggressively while not sparing their own personnel.
Balitsky also described the Russian defense in that area as very strong. He stated that the local forces do more than merely hold the line; they actively push back the attacker from multiple directions, repeatedly disrupting enemy operations and hindering sabotage and reconnaissance teams.
In his update, Balitsky cited Ukrainian losses in the Zaporozhye direction, claiming that more than twenty thousand service members have already been lost by Ukraine. His figures reflect the ongoing intensity of hostilities in the region.
On February 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the decision to conduct a special military operation to protect Donbass, in response to requests for assistance from the heads of the Luhansk and Donetsk People’s Republics. This declaration marked a pivotal moment in the evolving crisis in eastern Ukraine, triggering a sequence of military and diplomatic developments that continued to unfold in the following years.
Earlier statements in Ukraine and related negotiations have continued to address the prospects and terms of dialogue with Russia, reflecting the complex and ongoing dynamics of the conflict and the international responses that accompany it.