All news

Russian troops advance West of Orekhov in Zaporozhye Region — military expert

Andrey Marochko said the liberation of Orekhov is "a key to Zaporozhye city"

LUGANSK, February 16. /TASS/. Russian troops are successfully advancing West of Orekhov in the Zaporozhye Region that is heavily fortified by the Ukrainian army and are repelling all the enemy counterattacks, military expert Andrey Marochko reported.

Chief of the Russian General Staff Army General Valery Gerasimov reported earlier that the Ukrainian military command had deployed the most prepared assault forces to the Zaporozhye direction from other frontline areas.

"As for the Orekhov sector, we see the troops developing their success. First of all, the Battlegroup Dnepr has liberated three communities (since early February - TASS). All this happened on the Western frontiers from Orekhov. <…> The enemy tried to carry out several counterattacks there, first of all, in the area of Malaya Tokmachka, southeast of Orekhov," the military expert said during a live broadcast on the ORT TV Channel whose record he posted on his Telegram channel.

The liberation of Orekhov is "a key to Zaporozhye city," he said. Without the liberation of Orekhov, it is "possible to advance" on Zaporozhye city but it is "highly illogical and dangerous," he added.

Russian troops have stepped up their offensive in the Zaporozhye Region since early February and have already liberated eight communities there. The Ukrainian army has built "heavily fortified strongholds" in Orekhov, the military expert said.