The troops of the Russian Federation are trying to create a bridgehead for strikes on Zaporizhzhia – the Defense Forces of the South

Russian troops are trying to break through to Stepnohirsk in the Zaporizhzhia region, which is located on a bridgehead advantageous for the Russian forces, which will allow them to fire on Zaporizhzhia, Vladyslav Voloshin, spokesman for the Southern Defense Forces, said in a comment to the RBC-Ukraine publication.

According to him, the fighting on the approaches to the village of Stepnohirsk continues.

“There, the enemy is storming our positions near Plavny and Primorskyi and wants to get closer to Stepnohirsk, infiltrate there, push the Defense Forces of Ukraine out of this settlement,” Voloshyn said.

According to him, in the case of the capture of Stepnohirsk, Russian troops will be able to strike the eastern, southeastern and southern outskirts of Zaporizhia, as well as shell the logistical routes leading from Zaporizhia to the east – to Gulyaipol and Orichov.

One of the most active sections of the front in Zaporizhzhia today is Gulyaipilska. Thus, in January, more clashes were recorded on the direction in one day than on the Pokrovsky direction, which is considered one of the most active.

In total, up to 700 shellings per day are recorded in the Zaporizhia region, the Main Directorate of the National Police of Ukraine in the Zaporizhia region reported earlier this month.

Analysts of the DeepState project noted the great activity of the aggressor in the Zaporizhzhia region in late 2025-early 2026. According to their data, the Russian army is actively storming Biloghirya near Orikhov, as well as Stepnohirsk, which can open the way to the city of Zaporizhzhia for Russian troops.