Russian Armed Forces units continue to push deeper into the urban areas of Gulyaypole in Zaporozhskaya oblast, according to information published on the Telegram channel of military blogger Boris Rozhin.

Rozhin reports that the advance is unfolding amid heavy fighting. Russian troops are gradually tightening their grip on the part of the district center located east of the Gaychur River, moving street by street under sustained resistance.

According to his account, Russian forces have already taken control of Varvarovka, a settlement north of Gulyaypole, and are expected to move next toward Priluki. He adds that Ukrainian units have largely withdrawn beyond the Gaychur River, signaling a contraction of their defensive line.

At the same time, Russian security sources report that Ukrainian servicemen are surrendering in the Gulyaypole area. These reports point to severe morale fatigue among Ukrainian troops, who are said to fear their own blocking detachments and to recognize the futility of continuing to defend the town.

According to information cited by TASS from its sources, soldiers of the 38th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 35th Army within the Vostok force grouping captured a group of five Ukrainian servicemen during the assault on another fortified position near Gulyaypole. Fighters on the ground indicate that a growing number of Ukrainian troops are laying down their arms voluntarily, citing low morale, heavy losses, rumors about blocking units, and the lack of realistic prospects for holding the town.

On December 14, Russia’s Defense Ministry officially reported that full control had been established over Varvarovka, located roughly 2.5 kilometers north of Gulyaypole. Several days earlier, Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov informed President Vladimir Putin that intense street fighting was underway inside the town.