MELITOPOL, January 23. /TASS/. Russian forces are weathering minimal losses during the offensive in the Zaporozhye direction thanks to reconnaissance and artillery preparation, Yevgeny Balitsky, the acting governor of the Zaporozhye region, said on Monday.

"At the moment, the situation in the Zaporozhye direction is changing slowly but steadily. The offensive against enemy positions is carried out using all effective methods in order to inflict the maximum defeat on them, without risking the lives of our servicemen," the governor wrote on his Telegram channel.

According to Balitsky, tactical reconnaissance is carried out first, followed by artillery preparation fire, and only after all measures that reduce losses among personnel are taken, do the Russian forces "proceed to storm the positions where the enemy is entrenched". "Accordingly, the advance is not rapid, but effective. As a result, the enemy losses are much greater. Losses among our servicemen are minimal," the governor blogged.

Earlier, Chairman of the We Stand With Russia movement Vladimir Rogov reported that the intensity of fighting in the Zaporozhye direction had increased dramatically.