Situation on southern front escalating, Russians increase number of assaults – military

As reported by Ukrinform, this was stated by Spokesperson for the Southern Defense Forces Vladyslav Voloshyn during a live broadcast.

“Although the situation in the south has not drastically worsened, it is still becoming more tense. The number of kamikaze drone strikes, enemy shelling, and assault actions by the enemy have increased. The enemy is conducting assaults on multiple directions,” Voloshyn said.

According to him, unfavorable weather conditions in Kherson region have contributed to the enemy increasing combat operations and trying to push Ukrainian forces out of the island zone. The Orikhiv sector remains the most active.

“As expected, the most significant activity is happening in the Orikhiv sector, where the enemy is attempting to break through our defenses and occupy footholds near the villages of Lobkove, Stepove, and gain control over Shcherbaky, Mali Shcherbaky. They are attempting to establish a foothold there and carry out fire influence on Zaporizhzhia as a regional center, as well as on the entire Zaporizhzhia region. This is an attempt to take control of all logistical routes leading east from Zaporizhzhia city. Therefore, the Orikhiv direction is considered one of the most difficult,” Voloshyn emphasized.

He mentioned that in the Orikhiv sector, about 80 assault actions had been recorded during the first 12 days of April.

Additionally, the Huliaipole sector remains unstable, with the enemy trying to take control of several settlements, including Novopil and Vilne Pole. In recent days, the enemy has launched airstrikes on Huliaipole itself. Since the beginning of April, the invaders have carried out around 50 assault actions in this area.

Russian forces have also started active operations in the Kherson direction, attempting to take control of the island zone of the Dnipro River.

Regarding whether the enemy is still pulling reserves to the southern direction, Voloshyn reported: “We are talking about the reserves they plan to use and send into battle. Right now, the enemy is attempting to conduct assault operations with small infantry groups, which is why they are bringing in… personnel specifically for these groups.”

He explained that the invaders are doing this to continue their assault efforts, trying to capture “trench by trench, fortification by fortification, and gradually pushing deeper into our defenses.”

“In addition to the personnel of these assault groups, the enemy is also using armored vehicles for these assaults, however, not as mamy as they used in mechanized assaults… They also use quite a few light motorized vehicles, such as motorcycles, buggies, and ATVs,” the Spokesperson added.

At the same time, Voloshyn noted that the enemy is currently unable to take control of any settlements and will therefore increase assault actions and the number of shelling attacks.

As reported by Ukrinform, the total combat losses of Russian forces from February 24, 2022 to April 12, 2025 in the war against Ukraine have amounted to approximately 931,450 personnel, with 1,240 casualties reported over the past day.