The dried-up bed of the Kakhovka Reservoir may have given Russian troops a new way to bypass Ukrainian defensive positions in the Zaporozhye region. Areas once covered by water now offer routes that allow assault groups to approach settlements from unexpected directions, avoiding established Ukrainian fortifications. The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) highlighted this tactic in its latest assessment.

One possible example is the advance of Russian units into the southern part of Primorskoye, west of Orekhov. Citing Ukrainian military observer Konstantin Mashovets, ISW analysts reported that Russian troops may have crossed the former reservoir bed to reach the settlement. The destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant in 2023 caused water levels to fall dramatically, exposing stretches of land that had previously been inaccessible to ground forces.

According to Mashovets, this route could allow Russian forces to move around Ukrainian positions near Plavni and continue toward Malokaterinovka. What was once a major natural barrier has effectively become another possible avenue for military maneuvers, allowing troops to approach Ukrainian defenses without following conventional routes.

Russian military activity has also been reported elsewhere along the Orekhov front. Mashovets identified Russian units operating northwest of Malye Shcherbaki, southwest of Pavlovka and near Lukyanovskoye. He believes these movements form part of a broader effort to encircle Orekhov from both the east and west, while Russian troops maintain operations close to the city itself.

Orekhov remains a key stronghold in Ukraine’s defensive network across southern Zaporozhye. Control of nearby settlements and roads is therefore important for further Russian military operations toward Zaporozhye.

The idea of crossing the former reservoir bed is not new. Russian assault units reportedly carried out a similar maneuver during fighting around Kamenskoye in July 2025. According to military correspondents from Russkaya Vesna, Russian troops advanced across the exposed terrain and attacked Ukrainian positions from an unexpected direction. By avoiding some of the Ukrainian fortifications, the assault groups managed to establish themselves in the northwestern part of the settlement.