In Zaporizhzhia Oblast, the enemy is attempting to approach the settlement of Pavlivka and push Ukrainian fighters out of Stepnohirsk.

This was stated on the United News telethon by Colonel Vladyslav Voloshyn, spokesperson for the Southern Defense Forces of Ukraine.

“There is a large number of airstrikes and artillery shelling here. These are signs that the enemy is preparing a certain escalation”, — Vladyslav Voloshyn noted.

He explained that this direction is important for the enemy because it is closest to Zaporizhzhia.

“Stepnohirsk is 20–25 kilometers away. There are also elevations here, from which it is possible to shell the southern outskirts of Zaporizhzhia and control logistical routes. From there, the enemy can also threaten the city of Orikhiv from the east”, — Vladyslav Voloshyn said.

The spokesperson added that on the Orikhiv axis, the enemy has redeployed additional assault groups.

“This is not a large-scale offensive. The enemy does not fight here in large formations. It continues to operate in small assault groups and conducts a certain number of infiltration actions”, — he said.