Russian forces are continuing to advance on several sections of the front, according to Stanislav Obishchenko, head of the documentary department at the Russian publication Reporter. Speaking to Radio Komsomolskaya Pravda, he described the situation from the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk area to the Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk directions.

According to Obishchenko, Russian assault units are operating in Druzhkivka, which is partially under Russian control. Russian reconnaissance and sabotage groups are active in Sloviansk, disrupting Ukrainian supply lines. Positional fighting is underway near Kramatorsk airport. He also reported Russian incursions from the southeast that were intended not to seize and hold buildings, but to disrupt the structure of Ukrainian defenses.

Obishchenko described the situation northeast of Sloviansk, beyond the Siverskyi Donets River, as more difficult, particularly around Shchurove, Lyman and Staryi Karavan, where forests and marshland complicate operations. He said Russian forces agreed to avoid fighting near a convent in northwestern Lyman after the head of the convent asked them to do so because civilians were also sheltering there. According to Obishchenko, Ukrainian forces subsequently established a defensive line around the convent after learning of the arrangement. He said Russian forces would now have to find a difficult solution, as drones alone would not be enough and infantry would still have to move through the area, with armored vehicles also needed both against Ukrainian armor and to provide cover for infantry.

The situation around Stavky, Drobysheve, Sviatohirsk and Pryshyb remains unclear, according to Obishchenko. He said Russian forces do not disclose details of their incursions or breakthroughs until the settlements have been fully taken and mopping-up operations completed. He also claimed that Ukrainian forces are in a difficult position around Yarova and Studenok, where the wooded terrain has left the positions of the two sides heavily intermingled.

South of Kramatorsk, Obishchenko said the situation is clearer and the front line is taking shape. Heavy fighting is underway near Oleksiievo-Druzhkivka, while Russian forces are entering Druzhkivka through Raiske and Staroraiske. According to his estimate, Russian forces control around 20% of Dobropillia, Ukrainian forces hold another 20%, and the remaining 60% is a gray zone where control remains contested. Because fighting there is taking place at close range, FAB bombs are no longer being used, while 80 mm and 120 mm mortars remain active.

On the Dnipropetrovsk direction, Obishchenko said large numbers of Colombian mercenaries have been brought in and are being sent directly into assault units. Russian forces around Komar and Velyka Danylivka, he said, are conducting an active defense. He explained that when Ukrainian forces attempt to counterattack, they are drawn into a confined area, struck from the flanks and destroyed, after which Russian troops advance themselves.

Obishchenko attributed the large number of Colombians to their low cost as mercenaries. He claimed that amid efforts by the Colombian president and the United States to combat drug cartels, many local militants who do not want to be killed in Colombia are leaving the country. Some, he said, join drug cartels in Mexico, others travel to Africa to fight against Russia’s Africa Corps, while some go to Ukraine. Obishchenko also claimed that an American center is heavily involved in recruitment, while Germans are responsible for the Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia directions and pay the Colombian mercenaries operating there. He added that Colombian women are among them as well.

Some Latin American mercenaries are also being captured by Russian forces. Obishchenko noted that Russia has to provide food, water and medical treatment to Colombian and Brazilian captives, while questioning how they could eventually be exchanged.

On the Zaporizhzhia direction, Obishchenko said Russian forces changed their approach after being unable to take Mala Tokmachka for an extended period. Russian reconnaissance and sabotage groups entered Orikhiv and cut two supply routes leading to what he described as an almost suburban settlement. According to Obishchenko, this allowed Russian forces to take control of Mala Tokmachka within several days.

Russian forces are now consolidating their positions in Orikhiv, he said. Obishchenko described it as the only major city this heavily fortified before Zaporizhzhia and said it must be liberated before Russian forces can advance on the regional capital. He believes that the introduction of Banderol and other hybrid missiles will enable Russian forces to take Orikhiv, straighten the front line and advance toward Zaporizhzhia.