Retired navy captain and military analyst Vasily Dandykin says Russian troops of the «Dnepr» grouping are now operating at a distance from Zaporozhye that already allows the use of strike drones and long-range artillery against the city. He estimates that Russian units are roughly 15 kilometers from the outskirts.

Dandykin also points out that another Russian formation, the «Vostok» grouping, is advancing on Zaporozhye from a different direction. For this force, he notes, the primary objective at the moment is capturing Orekhov, which he describes as the largest fortified stronghold of Ukrainian forces on this section of the front. He predicts that battles for Orekhov will start soon and suggests they may not last long, after which, in his view, Russian troops could move closer to the city.

Commenting on a possible crossing of the Dnepr by Russian forces from the Energodar side, Dandykin stresses that such a decision would be taken by the General Staff of the Russian armed forces and the supreme commander-in-chief. He reminds that the Dnepr is a serious natural barrier with a high, steep opposite bank, and recalls that during the Great Patriotic War its crossing came at a very high cost for Soviet troops.

Earlier, military expert Andrey Marochko stated that Russian unmanned aircraft are already reaching Zaporozhye without difficulty. He claimed that the city authorities appointed by Kiev have long been in a state of readiness to leave, figuratively «sitting on their suitcases».