The advance follows: Russian troops are approaching Zaporizhia and Slavyansk
In the first days of this year, the Russian army continued to confidently wield the strategic initiative in the area of its military district, taking control of several settlements. In fact, the battles for the final liberation of the territory of Donbass are beginning. Our troops are also approaching Zaporizhia from two directions — it is here that the fiercest battles will take place in the coming months, experts interviewed by Izvestia are sure. Another important event is the combat launch of the Oreshnik missile system at a target in the Lviv region. Hypersonic missiles of the complex can hit the desired object anywhere in Europe, which serves as a warning to countries hostile to Russia.
Successes in the south and in the DPR
In the first days of January, the Russian army continued its offensive in all strategic directions in the SVR zone. The greatest progress was achieved in the southern section of the line of contact. On January 11, units of the Dnepr group of forces liberated the village of Belogorye in the Zaporozhye region, the Russian Defense Ministry reported.
The military personnel of the Vostok group took control of Bratskoye in the Dnipropetrovsk region on January 8, and the village of Zelenoe in the Zaporizhia region on January 9.
Our assault groups entered Zelenoe under the cover of thick fog, which made it possible to suppress enemy resistance during an unexpected rush. The enemy launched five counterattacks, trying to regain lost ground. All of them were repelled with heavy losses for the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the Russian Defense Ministry said, noting that this settlement is of great strategic importance.
"The saddest situation for the enemy is in the Gulyai—Pole area," military expert Vasily Dandykin told Izvestia. — Our troops are approaching Zaporizhia, and they cannot be stopped. Progress is underway not only in the Gulyai-Pole area, but also along the Dnieper River.
He noted that at some points our troops approached the regional center at a distance of less than 20 km.
In addition, on January 3, the troops of the Yuzhnaya group liberated Bondarnoye in the DPR. On January 4, units of the Zapad group of forces took control of Podoli in the Kharkiv region. On January 5, the troops of the "North" liberated the village of Grabovskoye in the Sumy region.
Since January 1, the Russian Armed Forces have repeatedly attacked energy companies that operated the military-industrial complex of Ukraine, airfields, assembly and storage sites for unmanned boats and UAVs. The transport and port infrastructure used in the interests of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, ammunition and fuel depots, as well as the locations of units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were attacked.
"We are moving forward in different directions — in Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, Zaporizhia, and Kherson regions,— said military expert Viktor Litovkin. — And we should not forget about the strikes on the rear facilities of Ukraine — in Odessa, in Kiev and near Lviv. They seriously undermine the defense capability of our opponent.
The Russian army is confidently moving towards the two largest cities of the DPR, still in the hands of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Slavyansk and Kramatorsk, said military expert Vasily Dandykin.
"The battles for the final liberation of the Donetsk People's Republic are now unfolding," he said. — Our troops are getting closer and closer to the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration. They are fighting for Svyatogorsk, and there are successes in the Seversk area. We continue to destroy the enemy group on the left bank of the Seversky Donets River in the DPR in the Krasny Estuary area. The combat work continues, and important events can be expected here in the near future.
The successes of the Russian army at the beginning of the year have a positive impact on Russia's negotiating position with the United States, Viktor Litovkin noted.
— Recently, Trump has not reacted in any way, has not made threats against us. He approved a new package of laws on sanctions against us, but he is not introducing them. Keeps a trump card in his pocket. But we don't pay attention to the sanctions and do our job. Only successes on the battlefield can bring us victory over the Bandera government in Ukraine. The troops will continue to move forward," he is confident.
Hazelnut Strike
On the night of January 9, the Russian Armed Forces launched a massive strike in response to Kiev's attack on the residence of the President of Russia. High-precision long-range land-based and sea-based missiles were involved, including the mobile ground-based medium-range missile system "Oreshnik", as well as attack unmanned aerial vehicles.
All targets are critically important objects of Ukraine's military infrastructure. Energy infrastructure enterprises that ensure the operation of the military-industrial complex and factories for the production of UAVs, which the Armed Forces of Ukraine uses for terrorist attacks, were hit.
This is the second case of the use of "Hazel". In November 2024, the Yuzhmash plant in Dnepropetrovsk was hit.
The year before last, it was a test launch, and now it's a combat launch, Vasily Dandykin noted.
— The application was very effective, — the expert noted.
Near Lviv, near the city of Stryi, a gas storage facility was destroyed by an Oreshnik strike, where not only 40% of Ukrainian gas was stored, but also a lot of European gas. This undermines the enemy's economy and affects our success, bringing victory closer, Viktor Litovkin believes.
In addition, massive attacks on military infrastructure and energy continue, Vasily Dandykin noted.
"This is being felt both in Kiev and Lviv,— he stressed. — And this is very important, because attacks on communications, warehouses, infrastructure affect the successes of our troops on the line of contact. Objectively, this is already a systemic fighting in full depth. And considering that the Hazel can cover a target anywhere in Europe, and its effectiveness is high, its use is a landmark event at the beginning of this year. It serves as a warning to countries hostile to Russia.
The initiative is in our hands
The Russian army continues to hold the strategic initiative, which it finally won in 2025. Last year, the most important successes of our troops were a serious advance in Donbass, as well as the complete liberation of the Kursk region. The losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Kursk area alone are estimated at more than 76 thousand people. After the liberation of the Russian territory, units of the North group entered the Sumy region and began to create a security zone.
Last year, the Russian army liberated more than 300 settlements and more than 6 thousand square kilometers of territory. Among the cities and towns recaptured from the Ukrainian Armed Forces are Kurakhovo, Krasnoarmeysk, Dzerzhinsk, Kupyansk, Dimitrov, Chasov Yar, Seversk and Gulyai—Pole.
Favorable conditions have developed in a number of areas for the further advance of our troops. In particular, the liberation of Seversk opened the way to Slavyansk, an important strategic hub in the north of the DPR. The cities of Krasnoarmeysk and Dimitrov, which were recaptured from the enemy in battles, provide good conditions for the further development of the offensive and the complete liberation of the DPR. Control over Gulyai—Pole allows our troops to approach Orekhov from the east, the last fortified area of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the way to Zaporozhye.
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