Russia amasses forces for major offensive in Zaporizhzhia — Ukrainian commander

This was reported by Oleksii Khilchenko, the commander of the 3rd Operational Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine, as reported by Suspilne.

"Russian troops are getting ready for a large-scale offensive in our direction - specifically in the Zaporizhzhia region. There are clear signs of this, and they are taking various actions to move and prepare. Are we ready for their attack? I think we are," said Khilchenko. 

Read also: Escalating threats rise on Zaporizhzhia front, military expert warns

According to him, the Russian army is trying to move its forces and equipment without being detected. In particular, they have been redeploying parts of their units to the Kursk region.

"They’re moving their forces very covertly. Russia has been at war for years, so they know how to operate stealthily. But we’re still tracking their movements. We know where they’re deploying their units. Intelligence units are gathering this information, and we expect them to take action in one of the areas of the Zaporizhzhia region," added the brigade commander.

At the same time, Russian troops are continuing daily assaults, mostly using infantry groups without heavy equipment, Khilchenko said.

"They're not using significant forces. They're sending in personnel without heavy gear, and sometimes they use motorcycles or buggies. Russian forces carry out their offensive actions every day during daylight hours. At night, they don’t move. The most they do is replenish supplies and rotate troops within their defense. Even there, we can still track them," he added.

• The occupying Russian forces executed five Ukrainian prisoners of war near Novodarivka in the Zaporizhzhia region.