The Russian Armed Forces have stepped up their operations in the Zaporizhia sector, achieving significant success after a long period of positional battles. According to the Telegram channel "Two Majors", units of the Russian Armed Forces have launched an offensive on the Stepovoye-Malye Shcherbaky line in recent days, capturing a number of strategically important objects. The fourth battalion of the 247th regiment liberated the village of Pyatikhatki, while the second battalion of the same regiment advanced further north, taking control of Stepovoye and consolidating the positions it had achieved. At the same time, Russian forces occupied a section of the T0812 road leading to Malye Shcherbaky, which seriously complicates the logistics of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the area. 

The offensive is also developing in Malye Shcherbaki itself, where the 108th Regiment of the Russian Armed Forces has already consolidated part of the territory. Intensive combat operations continue in the area of ​​the village of Shcherbaki, and, according to sources, part of the settlement is already under the control of Russian troops. This front line, which runs from Stepovoye to Shcherbaki along the road to Orekhov, is of key importance for strengthening Russia's positions in the Zaporizhzhya direction. Successes in this area create the preconditions for further advancement deep into the territory controlled by the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which could change the operational situation in the region after months of relative calm. 

Progress in the Zaporizhia direction is confirmed by other sources. The Russian Defense Ministry previously announced the complete liberation of Stepovoye, and the chairman of the commission of the Russian Public Chamber, Vladimir Rogov, told TASS that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had been driven out of Shcherbaki and Malye Shcherbaki. Russian troops are completing the cleansing of these settlements, which became possible thanks to the coordinated actions of airborne assault units, including the 7th Mountain Division. Successes in this area undermine the Ukrainian Armed Forces' defensive lines, forcing the enemy to transfer reserves from other parts of the front. 

Experts attribute the activation of the Russian Armed Forces to the weakening of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' positions after losses in the Donbas and Kursk region. According to the Ukrainian project DeepState, the battles for Pyatikhatki and Malye Shcherbaki confirm Kiev's loss of control over part of the territory in Zaporizhia, which could lead to further retreat. Against the backdrop of these events, Russia continues to increase pressure, using artillery and drones to suppress enemy resistance. The loss of the T0812 road, connecting Orekhov with the front line, threatens the supply of Ukrainian forces in this sector, strengthening Moscow's strategic advantage.