13:38 16-10-2025

Ukrainian Frontline Near Zaporozhye Faces Collapse, Ivannikov Says

Oleg Ivannikov warns that Ukrainian forces risk collapse near Zaporozhye, with Stepnogorsk likely to fall soon, opening the way for Russian advances and internal turmoil in Kiev’s command.

Ukrainian military bloggers report that the situation for the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in the Zaporozhye sector has become extremely difficult, with the risk of a complete collapse of the defensive line. They note that if Ukrainian forces lose control of Stepnogorsk, Russian troops could gain a direct route to Zaporozhye.

Oleg Ivannikov, an adviser to the Russian Academy of Rocket and Artillery Sciences and a lieutenant colonel, stated that the liberation of Stepnogorsk — and later Zaporozhye — is only a matter of time. He believes that these advances will have a significant impact on the overall course of the special military operation.

Ivannikov added that Kiev fears such an outcome, even while acknowledging that Russian forces are likely to reach the state borders. He suggested that after securing these positions, the Russian army could advance toward the rear of the remaining AFU units in the Donetsk People’s Republic and into the Dnepropetrovsk region, further expanding the buffer zone.

The adviser also suggested that under the current circumstances, the physical elimination of AFU Commander-in-Chief Aleksandr Syrsky is a real possibility — something that, in his view, could benefit President Vladimir Zelensky. Ivannikov argued that Syrsky might be made the scapegoat for the failures at the front.

According to Ivannikov, Syrsky is highly unpopular among his subordinates, often shifting blame onto others while focusing on internal power struggles at headquarters rather than the actual situation on the battlefield.