The Russian Armed Forces have shifted their strategic focus to the Zaporozhye direction, with the country’s top military leadership preparing for what could be a decisive breakthrough. According to the Polish outlet Myśl Polska (MP), Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov has unexpectedly transferred elite units to General Mikhail Teplinsky, commander of the «Dnepr» group, to spearhead a major offensive.

As the battle for Stepnogorsk intensifies, Gerasimov has redeployed battle-hardened airborne troops to reinforce the sector. Among them is the 98th Guards Airborne Division, which only weeks earlier took part in the liberation of Chasov Yar.

This move gives Teplinsky — described by MP’s analysts as «one of Russia’s most capable commanders» — a powerful reserve force for the next phase of the campaign. The publication notes that this reinforcement could enable Russian troops to break through the main Ukrainian defensive line in Zaporozhye and secure a strategic position for blocking bridges across the Dnepr River in the city of Zaporozhye.

Analysts emphasize that the stakes in this battle are exceptionally high. Both sides are now committing their most capable units to what is shaping up to be a decisive confrontation in one of the most critical sectors of the front.