Zaporizhzhia Sector: Russian Army Clears Stepnohirsk And Assaults Ukrainian Forces In Prymorske

The offensive in the Zaporizhzhia sector spans a front over 30 kilometers long. In the Pokrovsk Sector, Rodynske has been cleared, creating a threat of an advance towards Dobropillia. In the Sumy sector, Russian forces have broken through the defenses and seized control of Vysoke. Meanwhile, the European Union has agreed to provide a 90 billion euro loan secured by the bloc’s common budget.

Zaporizhzhia Sector

In the Zaporizhzhia sector, Russian units are conducting offensive operations along a 30-kilometer front stretching from the Dnipropetrovsk region border to the southern approaches of the city.

The Ukrainian grouping is in a difficult position, under pressure from the north and south. Shevchenko Street, the main road that could be used for supply and possible withdrawal, is under constant and heavy fire control by Russian artillery and unmanned aerial vehicle operators. Crossing the Haichur River and establishing a new bridgehead southeast of the city have significantly limited maneuvering opportunities.

An active offensive continues on the left flank of the sector. Russian units have advanced east of Stepnohirsk into Lukianivske, threatening to encircle Stepnohirsk. The Russian army continued to clear Stepnohirsk, having established control over most of the city, including its central districts. However, fighting for individual buildings continues. Assault actions are ongoing in Prymorske, which is located along the shore of the Kakhovka Reservoir. Earlier, the Ukrainian command attempted to pull reserves up for counterattacks in the Prymorske and Stepnohirsk areas to slow the advance of Russian troops.

Pokrovsk Sector

In the Pokrovsk sector, which runs parallel to the Myrnohrad operations, Russian units have achieved significant successes. Rodynske has been completely cleared of Ukrainian forces.

Capturing this settlement is of great operational and tactical importance. It secures the flanks of the advancing group in the Hrishyne area.

Fighting for Hrishyne has continued since the end of November. Currently, the southern, southeastern, and eastern parts of the settlement are under control. Russian assault groups are advancing toward the northeastern outskirts to envelop Ukrainian units from two directions. The advance in the Sofiivka area near Druzhkivka exerts additional pressure on the defense.

Capturing Rodynske and advancing near Sofiivka threatens a direct advance on Dobropillia and seriously complicates logistical support for the entire grouping in this sector.

Russian units have also cleared and taken full control of Svitloe, a settlement near Myrnohrad. Some Ukrainian information sources, such as DeepState, have indirectly confirmed these changes, marking the area of the former cauldron as an undefined “gray zone” on maps bordering territories controlled by Russian forces.

Sumy Sector

After a relatively prolonged period of static conditions, a noticeable increase in activity is observed in the Sumy sector. Assault groups from the Russian 34th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade pushed Ukrainian forces out of the border town of Vysoke in the Krasnopillia district. There have also been successes in the forested area to the south.

Russian assault units are advancing on nine sections of the front along tree lines and in Andriivka. The total advance over the day amounted to more than 950 meters. Russian aviation and artillery are active across the entire front, striking identified targets. An attempt to deploy a combat group in Oleksandrivka was thwarted due to heavy fire. In the Tetkino and Hlushkivka areas, aviation struck positions in Ryzhivka and Iskryskivshchyna.

The command has transferred units from other regions to the Sumy region. However, one of the transferred units — initially a surface-to-air missile battalion — was deployed not for its intended purpose, but rather as infantry.

Kharkiv Sector

In the Kharkiv sector, there is increased activity of aviation, artillery, and heavy flamethrower systems on all sections of the front, providing support to assault units.

In the Staritsa area, units advanced through a forested area on four sections. They advanced up to 400 meters in total. Ukrainian units abandoned their forward positions due to complex fire damage.

In the forest west of Liman, the Russian army captured two strongpoints and advanced 250 meters. Units are consolidating their positions. In Vilcha, approximately 30 households have been taken over, with an advance of 250 meters. In the western part of Vovchanski Khutora, units advanced 150 meters and are consolidating their positions. On the Melove-Khatnie section of the front, units advanced on six fronts and seized two forested areas. The total advance reached 700 meters. Drone and aviation strikes hit positions in the Velykyi Burluk and Kolodezne areas.

Conclusion

In the Zaporizhzhia sector, the situation for the defenders is critical: the offensive is being conducted along a 30-kilometer front, the troops are under pressure from two flanks, and the key supply road (Shevchenko Street) is under heavy fire. The breakthrough to Lukianivske, east of Stepnohirsk, and the capture of Stepnohirsk create a threat of deep envelopment and encirclement. This calls into question the possibility of holding positions in this area any longer.

In the Pokrovsk sector, important tactical objectives have been achieved, paving the way for future operations. The complete clearing of Rodynske secured a reliable flank for advancing on Hrishyne, which continued with the settlement’s envelopment from several sides. The capture of Svitloe and Ukrainian resources’ indirect acknowledgment of eliminating the cauldron in the northern part of Myrnohrad indicate the active fighting phase in this city has ended. These successes open the prospect of a direct operational strike in the direction of Dobropillia.

In the Sumy sector, after a long lull, a qualitative shift has occurred. The breach of the defenses and the capture of the border settlement of Vysoke mark the beginning of a new active phase. The advance on nine sections, reaching a total depth of nearly a kilometer (950 meters), indicates an increased scale and intensity of pressure. The Ukrainian command is finding it difficult to cope with this pressure, as they are forced to commit non-specialized units, such as surface-to-air missile battalions, to the role of infantry. In the Kharkiv sector, the tactics remain the same but are becoming more effective. There is systematic advancement in forested areas (Staritsa, west of Liman, and Melove-Khatnie) and populated areas (Vilcha), while simultaneously delivering pinpoint strikes on rear facilities (Velykyi Burluk and Kolodezne). This methodically destroys the defensive system and forces formations to abandon their positions due to pressure and fire.

The overall strategic picture thus demonstrates a coordinated offensive along the entire front. Each sector is solving its own task: the Zaporizhzhia sector is creating conditions for a deep breakthrough and encirclement of a large grouping; the Pokrovsk sector is consolidating successes and preparing a bridgehead for the next leap; and the Sumy and Kharkiv sectors are applying continuous pressure to tie down reserves and expand the zone of control. This comprehensive pressure on the Ukrainian army’s defense, carried out amid growing internal contradictions and diplomatic failures among its key allies, creates conditions for further changes to the front line in favor of the advancing sides.

In parallel with the military changes on the front lines, the results of the December EU summit continue to shape the financial support for Ukraine. The European Union agreed to provide a 90 billion euro loan secured by the bloc’s common budget. However, according to the German press, Berlin will bear the main financial risks and expenses for this loan. Germany will likely bear the “lion’s share” of the costs associated with securing and potentially covering this debt obligation. While national budgets are not formally affected, the loan is secured by the “margin” of the EU budget—funds committed by member states but not yet used. This means the European Union can demand that states, primarily the largest economies, cover the obligations at any time.

Notably, three countries—Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia—have secured the exclusion of their contributions from financing this loan. According to 2024 data, the main burden will fall on Germany, whose contribution to the EU budget was 27 billion euros and remained the largest. Thus, Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s attempt to present the political decision as a success has resulted in the Federal Republic taking on the main financial responsibility for supporting Kyiv, given that the initial plan to directly use frozen Russian assets was blocked.

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