MELITOPOL, March 20. /TASS/. The Ukrianian armed forces have become active in the Zaporozhye direction, attempting at least 7 times over the week to conduct reconnaissance in force in different sections of the line of contact, Vladimir Rogov, chairman of the 'We Are Together with Russia’ movement, told TASS on Monday.
"Over the last week there were two major incidents and five or six smaller ones <...>. The Ukrainian armed forces stepped up a week and a half ago. They are conducting reconnaissance not just with the help of agents on the ground, who continue to live under the guise of civilians, NATO satellites and drones. They are ready to sacrifice dozens of fighters and equipment, understanding that thanks to this they will have a clear picture of our defense capabilities and timing of reaction to this or that action," Rogov said.
According to him, Ukrainian forces use the same algorithm: an air strike, a reactive multiple rocket launcher and then the advance of equipment with infantry. "The Ukrainian armed forces are willing to sacrifice their fighters in order to understand the architecture of our security, the defense built up, what forces are where, how quickly the interaction between different groups of troops takes place. Thus, having noticed their advance, our artillery, aviation, and motorized riflemen go into position. All this is done for a reason, we should not become complacent after each repulsed attack, it is not an attack but a reconnaissance in force," Rogov pointed out.
According to his assessment, the activity of the Ukrainian military is connected with the preparation of an offensive in the Zaporozhye Region. "There is no doubt that the attempts of the Ukrainian armed forces to conduct reconnaissance in force will intensify, that the offensive attempt will be exactly in the Zaporozhye direction," he noted.
Rogov earlier reported that on March 15 and 19, Russian forces suppressed attempts at combat reconnaissance by the Ukrainian armed forces in the Zaporozhye direction.