Orikhiv-Zaporizhzhia Direction
The enemy (Russian forces) continues offensive actions in the zone of its 58th Combined Arms Army (CAA) of the “Dnepr” group of forces (GF), aiming to reach the outskirts of Zaporizhzhia from the south and southeast with its advanced units and formations.
Within these actions, advanced units and subunits of the Russian 58th Army, along with its attached reinforcement forces and assets, are attempting to achieve their immediate objective — to reach the area of Magdalinivka — Zapasne — Pavlivka — Lukyanivske, and also to break through to the city of Orikhiv from the southwest and southeast. As of last evening, the enemy has not yet succeeded in this task.
Moreover, it is likely that the Ukrainian forces defending in this direction conducted a series of successful search and raid operations in their tactical rear over the current and previous weeks, significantly reducing the number of enemy “small infantry groups” that had previously penetrated there. Specifically, within the city of Orikhiv and the village of Novodanylivka:
– In Mala Tokmachka, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) continue to block up to three small infantry groups of the enemy. One is hiding on the premises of a partially destroyed correctional colony, and two other “micro-groups” are hiding in ruined buildings on its northeastern and eastern outskirts.
The Russian infantry group that had previously “settled” in a small forest between Mala Tokmachka and Orikhiv, south of the T-0815 highway, was likely eliminated. Similarly, several Russian assault troops who managed to break through to a grove southeast of Chervona Krynytsia.
– Furthermore, it seems that the AFU managed to significantly “thin out” the Russian “infiltrators” who previously crept through Uspenivska Balka and Novodanylivka directly into the city of Orikhiv. Currently, the village of Novodanylivka is likely completely “cleared,” and in Orikhiv itself, only one “micro” enemy infantry group is still recorded on the southeastern outskirts near the intersection of Lesya Ukrainka Lane and Hrushevsky Street.
Thus, we can state that the enemy’s attempt to carry out a “mass infiltration” into the city of Orikhiv in the offensive zone of the Russian 42nd Motorized Rifle Division (MRD) of the 58th CAA was thwarted by the AFU over the past week.
– However, in this context, it should be noted that on the opposite (southwestern) flank of the Orikhiv defense area of the AFU, the enemy still holds several assault groups in the forest strips northwest of Nesteryanka, literally 1.5-2 km from Novoandriivka, and constantly attempts to lead new infiltration groups north of the road between Mali Shcherbaky and Novoandriivka.
– Evidently, in the context of covering the flanks of the Orikhiv defense district of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Russian command intends to continue actively using the territory of the villages of Mali Shcherbaky and Shcherbaky, which it managed to fully take control of a few weeks ago.
– Regarding the Zaporizia direction, the aforementioned district will likely also be used by the enemy for offensive actions. Since it is a convenient “starting” position for the enemy to cover the Orikhiv defense district of the AFU from the west, as well as for further advancement of its forward units towards Mali Shcherbaky — Pavlivka and further to Novoyakovlivka.
In fact, this is exactly what the enemy is trying to do right now — acting from its tactical salient in the area of Mali Shcherbaky, to reach the heights west of Novopavlivka, capture the village of Novoandriivka, to achieve dense fire influence over the main logistics communication of the AFU in the Orikhiv area (the road to Komyshuvakha) and SIMULTANEOUSLY break out from this salient to the north towards Pavlivka.
Currently, the enemy has not yet managed to break through to Novopavlivka. And its assault groups that penetrated Pavlivka were mostly “cleared out”; a fairly small one is still recorded directly south of the village, and another slightly larger one a few kilometers east of Pavlivka.
– In the section between Mali Shcherbaky and the former Kakhovka reservoir bed, the enemy is also quite active. However, its effectiveness here is minimal. In this sense, it is worth noting two areas — northeast of Kam’yanske, where several Russian infantry groups managed to advance 3.5 km towards Pavlivka a few weeks ago and were blocked there, and the village of Prymorske, where the Russians stubbornly hold the southern part of Pokrovska Street at the very edge of the village, periodically replenishing their positions with infantry through the former reservoir bed.
In turn, in the area of Stepnohirsk and further towards Luk’yanivske, only very small enemy groups are recorded — 2-3 infantrymen or even individual infantrymen hiding in forest belts. In Stepnohirsk itself, Russian troops continue to hold only the “Visotka” district and a few “runners” who settled on the northern outskirts of the city near Nezalezhnosti Street.
– Meanwhile, the AFU continues to hold at least half (the northern part) of the village of Plavni, including the local railway station, the road junction between Stepnohirsk and Prymorske, as well as the section along the E-105 road 2 km south of it. For this reason, the enemy is forced to supply and replenish its infantry groups in Prymorske exclusively through the dry bed of the former reservoir.
In this sense, it is worth noting that the Russian command is quite active. Unable to break directly through Prymorske and Stepnohirsk, it increasingly uses this bed to supply and replenish infantry groups in the Prymorske area, as well as for further penetration of its assault groups bypassing the main positions of the forward Ukrainian units. In particular, it attempted such an action about a week ago, resulting in one of these Russian assault groups sneaking quite deep — to Malokaterinivka, where it was blocked.
Summing up…
The command of the Russian 58th Combined Arms Army, operating in the Orihiv-Zaporizhzhia direction, continues to focus its main efforts on its right flank, directly toward the Orihiv defense district of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Evidently, the first attempt at a mass “penetration” and securing of Russian assault infantry in the city itself was not entirely successful for the enemy. As of 25.09.2026, only one “very small” Russian infantry group remained on the southeastern outskirts of Orihiv.
However, it is worth noting that the Russian command persistently continues to implement its plan (strategy) to flank this defense area of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This is evidenced by its persistent attempts to break through from the Nesterianka and Mali Shcherbaky area to the heights northwest of the city and constant frontal “runs” of its assault infantry along the Novopokrovka – Mala Tokmachka direction.
Moreover, all this occurs with intense regularity, despite the fact that such actions by the Russian command have long become entirely obvious and understood by its Ukrainian “opponents,” and in most cases, lead, with no less intense regularity, to significant losses among Russian assault infantry.
Regarding the future prospects of offensive actions of Russian troops in the area of their 58th Combined Arms Army in the Orihiv-Zaporizhzhia direction, two factors should be noted:
– The enemy has managed to completely occupy the area of Mali Shcherbaky and Shcherbaky with the main forces of its forward units (in fact, this is the only more or less significant tactical success of the Russian 58th Combined Arms Army in this direction over the last 3-4 months). And, evidently, it will try to use this tactical salient in the near future both for further advancement towards Novopavlivka and Novoandriivka (further flanking of the Orihiv defense area of the Ukrainian Armed Forces from the west), and to increase its pressure on Pavlivka (attempting to create conditions for “unblocking” its further advance from Kamianske to the northeast).
– In addition, it is worth noting that in the Kamianske – Stepnohirsk direction, the enemy has started increasingly using the dry bed of the Kakhovka Reservoir for its “penetrative” actions. Apparently, its command believes that the forward units and subdivisions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces defending in this direction simply do not have enough personnel to reliably block this territory and the coastline of the former reservoir.
In this sense, it is worth noting that the Russian command uses this channel not only for supplying and replenishing its infantry groups that have “anchored” at the southern edge of Prymorske but also for rather long and deep “runs” of its assault troops towards Malokaterynivka, Kushuhum, and the northern and central areas of Prymorske.
Cover photo: 15th NGU Brigade named after Hero of Ukraine Lieutenant Bohdan Zavada
