In the Zaporizhzhia region, the invaders switched to active defense

8 June, 2023 Leopard 2A4 tank of the Ukrainian military. June 2023. Ukraine.

Photo credits: WM Blood The Ukrainian Defense Forces forced the Russian invaders to switch to active defense in the Zaporizhzhia region. Hanna Maliar, Deputy Minister of Defense, reported this.

She noted that Russian forces are conducting active defense near Orikhiv. The term "active defense" refers to a system of defensive actions in which the defender does not go beyond the general operational task and retains the initiative and freedom of action. The main task of such a defense is to exhaust large groups of the enemy through active maneuvering of forces while detecting the direction of his attack.

Two rows of anti-tank embankments near the Russian-occupied town of Hirske in the Luhansk region

Before the start of the offensive, the Ukrainian military actively struck Russian targets in the rear of the Russians in the Zaporizhzhia region.

On June 7, the Armed Forces of Ukraine struck Russian targets in two occupied settlements in the Zaporizhzhia region at once. Residents of Myrne, Melitopol district, reported a powerful explosion near a military unit captured by the invaders. The residents of Tokmak also reported at least six explosions.

The situation in the Zaporizhzhia region as of the beginning of June 2023

These settlements are located in the area of potential movement directions of Ukrainian forces from the Orikhiv area, mentioned by Maliar. Additionally, the occupation authorities in the uncontrolled part of the Zaporizhzhia region announced the evacuation of Tokmak, Polohiv, and Vasylivka. Evacuation will be carried out to the occupied cities of Crimea, including Sevastopol and Kerch.

The Russian occupation authorities announced the evacuation in the Zaporozhzhia region

Hanna Maliar also noted that active actions are ongoing in the direction of Bakhmut.

In some places, the enemy tries to launch the offensive, but with no success.