After capturing the village of Uspenovka on the Dnipropetrovsk front, Russian forces are nearing an unfortified stretch of land in Zaporizhzhia region.

According to the Military Analytics Telegram channel, the last significant obstacle for Russian troops on this path is the city of Gulyai-Pole. The channel suggests that Gulyai-Pole could soon find itself in a «fire trap», surrounded by Russian forces. It was noted that fighting is already taking place south of the city, and after the capture of Uspenovka, Russian forces are now in a position to approach Gulyai-Pole from the northeast and east.

The report adds that from Gulyai-Pole, Russian troops could continue their advance into the rear of Orikhiv, moving along the open, unfortified stretch rather than attacking head-on from the south. This could provide a strategic advantage as the Russian forces bypass entrenched positions.

The situation for Ukrainian forces in Gulyai-Pole is further complicated by the fact that since 2022, the area has seen little active combat. According to Military Analytics, the defense in this region is largely held by some of the weakest Ukrainian units, including territorial defense battalions and newly formed brigades from the 140th and 150th series.