Small Russian infantry groups have stepped up assault operations in Ukraine's south over the past two weeks as they look to improve Moscow's battlefield positions, a spokesperson for the military told Ukrinform on March 12.
Thirty-five attacks have been recorded in the area today so far, with Russian forces pushing on the Huliaipole and Orikhiv sectors in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, said Vladyslav Voloshyn, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian military's Southern Command.
"This is not an offensive or part of the enemy's strategic actions, but tactical attempts to improve their position relative to the combat line," Voloshyn said.
Russia has also intensified artillery shelling and air and missile strikes on Ukraine's Tavria group of forces, which covers Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, Voloshyn said.
Voloshyn's statement come amid Russia's breakthrough in embattled Kursk Oblast. Multiple Ukrainian and Russian sources claimed on March 12 that Russian troops had entered Sudzha, a key Ukrainian-held stronghold in the Russian border region of Kursk.
https://kyivindependent.com/russia-has-stepped-up-attack-in-ukraines-south-over -past-two-weeks-military-says/
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* Origin: Ukraine News from various sources (2:263/1)