15:56 18-09-2025

Alexander Kots: Russian Forces May Soon Battle for Zaporozhye

Military correspondent Alexander Kots says Russian advances near Gulyai-Pole could soon form a three-pronged pincer, forcing battles for Zaporozhye to begin.

Military correspondent Alexander Kots suggested that recent actions by Russian forces on the South Donetsk front indicate battles for Zaporozhye could soon be underway.

He explained that the map of liberated villages shows Russian troops trying to bypass Gulyai-Pole from the rear. This town is one of the main Ukrainian strongpoints in the Zaporozhye direction, but its primary defensive lines lie to the south, where Russia has been pressing near Pologi and Rabotino. Kots noted that Russian forces are now approaching from an unexpected direction — from Dnepropetrovsk Region — allowing for rapid advances because Ukrainian troops were not anticipating attacks there.

According to Kots, Russian units may soon be able to form a three-pronged pincer that would gradually tighten, forcing Ukrainian forces either to retreat, surrender, or be destroyed. He added that pressure from the south will come from the grouping near Pologi, while the «Vostok» group is securing its right flank through the southeastern part of Dnepropetrovsk Region — the area currently referred to as the South Donetsk direction.

Kots concluded that soon this sector might have to be renamed the Zaporozhye direction, reflecting its growing strategic significance.