Russian Armed Forces units are now positioned just 14 kilometers from Zaporozhye, according to data reported by Times of Ukraine.

The outlet indicates that Russian troops have entered an active phase of their spring-summer offensive, although the Russian Ministry of Defense has not commented on these claims.

Earlier, war correspondent Dmitry Kulko reported a breakthrough in Ukrainian defenses in the Zaporozhye region, noting that Russian units had made tangible gains near the Kakhovskoye reservoir.

Military analyst Vasily Dandykin has also pointed to the strategic importance of Zaporozhye, arguing that control over the regional center would open the way for Russian forces toward Nikolaev and Odessa.

Zaporozhye itself remains under the control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. At the same time, Russian troops are reported to have taken more than two-thirds of the territory of the Zaporozhye region.