Russian forces gaining control of Stepnogorsk and Primorskoye in Zaporozhye region could open a direct route toward the regional capital, a retired colonel and military analyst, Anatoly Matvyichuk, has warned.

Matvyichuk argued that Stepnogorsk and Primorskoye represent the last heavily fortified settlements on the Zaporozhye axis. He said fortifications there had been strengthened since 2014 and that beyond those towns there were no comparable defensive lines left, making them strategic choke points for any advance.

According to the analyst, capturing the two settlements would give Russian troops a clear steppe corridor, granting operational space for maneuver and enabling advances in multiple directions. He framed control of these localities as likely to break the enemy’s defensive cohesion and provide a straight path to Zaporozhye.

Earlier military outlets reported that Russian air-assault troops were assaulting southern districts of Stepnogorsk and had taken control of much of Primorskoye. Matvyichuk interpreted those moves as setting conditions for broader offensive operations across the plain.

He also said Russian units were exploiting the drained Dnepr riverbed and nearby water bodies to press forward in Zaporozhye. Matvyichuk attributed the lowered river level to the destruction of the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric station and said the shallow crossings reduce the need for boats or pontoon bridges, easing movement of infantry and, with modest engineering works, vehicles.

Finally, Matvyichuk noted that natural concealment-marshes and reed beds on the islands-could be used to approach shores held by Ukrainian forces covertly, flank them and deliver decisive strikes, according to his assessment.