Russian forces prepare for escalation in south and deploy additional troops, Voloshyn

This was reported in a comment to Ukrinform by Vladyslav Voloshyn, spokesperson for the Southern Defense Forces.

According to him, enemy activity in the southern sectors remains consistently high. “The enemy continues its assault operations and shelling. Activity in the southern sectors is quite high. We record more than 30 combat engagements every day,” Voloshyn noted.

At the same time, in the Oleksandrivka sector, Ukrainian troops conduct counterattacks and achieve some success. “The Ukrainian Defense Forces are achieving some success. Since the start of the operation, over 400 square kilometers of territory and several settlements have been liberated,” the spokesperson said.

He emphasized that the operation is ongoing, and Ukrainian units continue to put pressure on the enemy.

According to intelligence reports, Russian troops are preparing for further escalation in the south and are redeploying additional forces. “The enemy has no intention of slowing down its offensive operations and is redeploying forces and equipment for this purpose,” he noted.

In particular, marine units from the Russian Pacific Fleet have been redeployed to the Huliaipole sector. “The 40th Separate Marine Brigade of the Pacific Fleet was recently relocated. In addition, units of the 55th Marine Division are being transferred,” Voloshyn clarified.

According to him, the enemy may deploy both small assault groups and mechanized attacks.

The active use of drones, particularly new tactical approaches involving their deployment, poses a separate threat. “The kill zone has already reached 20 kilometers, and the enemy is constantly trying to expand it,” the spokesperson noted.

He added that the number of attack drones has increased significantly. “A month ago, we were talking about 300–350 such drones, but now there are already about 500, and this number is constantly growing,” Voloshyn said.

According to him, Russian troops attempt to target logistics and populated areas near the front line. “The enemy is trying to strike as far as possible, keep our logistics under control, and launch attacks on populated areas,” he concluded.

As reported by Ukrinform, crews of the Russian Sarma multiple launch rocket system are conducting military drills at a training ground near Astrakhan, after which they are scheduled to be deployed to the combat zone in southern Ukraine to strike operational-tactical targets.