Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi visited military units in southern Ukraine and reported a massive buildup of enemy forces simultaneously on three directions. Alone on the Aleksandrivsk direction — 71 thousand military personnel. On the Hulyaipole and Orikhiv directions — comparable numbers. Together — approximately 140 thousand in the Southern operational zone.
What is happening on each direction
Aleksandrivsk direction — the junction of Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions. The Commander-in-Chief's analysts record successful counteroffensive actions of the Defense Forces here, despite Russia viewing this direction as auxiliary to more priority sectors.
Hulyaipole direction runs through the center of Zaporizhzhia region. As ISW documented, since the end of October 2025, Russia changed its vector: began advancing from Donetsk region westward — bypassing the main Ukrainian defensive lines built to repel attacks from the south. The goal is to encircle Orikhiv from multiple sides and reach Zaporizhzhia.
Orikhiv direction remains part of this same strategic scheme. According to ISW's assessment, if both maneuvers succeeded, Russia would be able to bypass the main defensive line in Zaporizhzhia region with an exit toward Zaporizhzhia — Ukraine's sixth largest city.
«The adversary continues to escalate efforts. The situation remains dynamic — both the Defense Forces and the Russian armed forces are conducting active combat operations».
Oleksandr Syrskyi, Telegram
Syrskyi's decision
Following his inspection of positions, Syrskyi supported commanders' initiatives regarding active operations and made a decision on additional supply of equipment and ammunition to the southern directions. Details — types of equipment and volumes — were not officially disclosed.
Important context: according to Syrskyi's data as of April 2025, the total strength of the Russian force grouping in Ukraine at that time reached approximately 623 thousand military personnel. This means approximately one quarter of the entire Russian force grouping is concentrated precisely in the Southern operational zone.
Why this matters now
- The Hulyaipole and Orikhiv directions — previously the most stable section of the front since the beginning of the full-scale invasion. Increased activity here — is a relatively new phenomenon.
- Russia is transferring airborne units to the Hulyaipole direction, which indicates elevated priority of this sector, as documented by Tribune.
- Simultaneous pressure on three directions complicates reserve rotation and forces the Armed Forces of Ukraine to hold a wider front without the ability to concentrate forces.
If Ukraine maintains the pace of counterattacks on the Aleksandrivsk and Hulyaipole directions — this could disrupt Russia's planned summer offensive rotation, as ISW forecasts. The question is whether the announced «additional supply» will be sufficient to support active operations simultaneously on all three sections.
