Russian forces may launch ground attacks in southern Ukraine Zaporizhzhia in a few days, said the spokesman of the Southern Defense Forces, Vladyslav Volosin Reuters.

These attacks could add pressure on Kiev’s already overstretched defenders in the east. However, it remains unclear whether Russia is planning a single offensive or several separate attacks, Voloshin said.

“(The assaults) could start shortly; we’re not even talking about weeks, we expect it to happen any day,” he added, noting that Russian troops far outnumber Ukrainian forces in the region.

Voloshin also cited Ukrainian intelligence data suggesting that Russia plans to use armored vehicles and a significant number of drones in the offensive. The increased number of Russian airstrikes in recent weeks, by 30-40 percent, also indicates preparations for the assault, he said.

Colonel Vladyslav Seleznyov, former head of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) The press service of the General Staff, told the Kyiv Post: “The increased activity of the enemy in southern Zaporizhzhia is obvious. In this way, they are trying to create conditions that will make their offensive in the south of the Donetsk region more effective.”

Russian forces recently made inroads into Ukrainian defenses near the village of Levadne in the Zaporizhzhia region, which the DeepState project now marks as occupied. Now advancing near Novodarivka.

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In the area from Hulyaipole to Orikhiv, Russian forces concentrated a significant amount of manpower and equipment. In addition, incursions by Russian sabotage and reconnaissance groups have become more frequent in this area.

RBC-Ukraine, citing its sources, reported that potential attack directions include Hulyaipole, Orikhiv and Kamyanske.

Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Combating Disinformation within the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, confirmed that Russian troops are preparing for assault operations in the Zaporizhzhia sector, especially in several settlements. He also said that the Russians could consider the Kurakhove sector as part of their potential operations in the region.

Oleksandr Musienko, head of the Center for Military-Legal Studies, told RBC-Ukraine that after Russia redeployed part of its forces from the Zaporizhzhia sector to Russia’s Kursk region, it carried out additional personnel rotations and regroupings.

“Now they have brought as many reinforcements as possible and are preparing for offensive and assault actions in the direction of Zaporizhzhia,” he said.

Musienko suggests that this move could be aimed at expanding the Ukrainian Defense Forces, moving them away from the Kursk region and preventing the transfer of additional AFU forces to the Pokrovsk and Kurakhove sectors.

Colonel Seleznyov of the AFU, speaking to the Kyiv Post, said that Russian forces are likely trying to secure more advantageous positions in the Zaporizhzhia region.

“I think what we are seeing now in the Zaporizhzhia region is a kind of demonstration action aimed at improving the tactical position of Russian troops and strengthening the land corridor that currently connects the Donetsk region with the occupied Crimean Peninsula,” he said.

Is Russia preparing an assault on Zaporizhzhia?

On November 12, The Economist reported that Russia is preparing for an assault on Zaporizhzhia. According to the report, “fighting is also beginning in Zaporizhzhia province for what Ukrainian intelligence believes will be an attack on the provincial capital, an important industrial center.”

However, Seleznyov expressed doubts that Russian forces would attempt to storm the city itself, noting that this would require at least 300,000 troops.

“The attacks in the southern Zaporizhzhia region are tactical and have not yet evolved into operational-tactical maneuvers. Will the enemy have enough resources to mount a full-scale offensive? I doubt it,” Seleznyov said.

“Where could they gather another few hundred thousand troops? And they should also be fully equipped and supplied for an assault on the regional center. There is simply nowhere to get all of these. So Zaporizhzhia itself is not at significant risk in the foreseeable future,” he added.

Musienko commented that militarily, the Kremlin appears to be planning a diversionary strike combined with offensive actions that may achieve limited tactical gains. “This is not a strategic offensive aimed directly at encircling or capturing the city of Zaporizhzhia,” he said.

Kovalenko also confirmed that Russia does not have the necessary forces to attack the city of Zaporizhzhia directly.

“Instead, the Russians will escalate their plans through military Z-bloggers to spread panic,” he said.

However, Musienko acknowledged that the risks remain serious. According to him, Russia’s current objective is to test Ukraine’s defensive lines, look for vulnerabilities and continue attempts to advance. He did not rule out a broader military-political objective.

“Perhaps, in this way, the aggressor intends to show that he has not abandoned his intentions to seize Zaporizhzhia. But I think that these are mostly plans intended to have leverage in possible further negotiations,” added Musienko.

He said the Russians likely see Donald Trump’s potential return to the White House as a game changer and are looking for ways to apply pressure, particularly by escalating the Zaporizhzhia sector.

Seleznyov said that Russian troops are actively operating in the Kurakhove and Pokrovsk areas and are trying to push Ukrainian forces out of the Kursk region. “By the day of Trump’s inauguration, Putin wants to create certain favorable conditions for himself in any negotiations with the US government,” he told the Kyiv Post.