Russia is advancing towards two towns in the Zaporizhia region of southern Ukraine

The Russian army is advancing towards two towns in the Zaporizhia region in southern Ukraine, where clashes with Kyiv forces intensified this week, according to Vladimir Rogov, one of the leaders of the local authorities set up by Moscow, on Sunday.

"The front is moving, especially in two directions: Orekhev and Gulyaipol," Rogov told the Russian news agency RIA Novosti.

These two towns, which before the war each had about 15,000 inhabitants, are located respectively at a distance of 65 km and 100 km southeast of Zaporizhia, the capital of the region of the same name and controlled by Ukrainian forces.

According to Rogov, "the initiative is in our hands" and fighting continues in these areas.

For its part, the Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed Sunday in its daily briefing that "units of the Eastern Military District occupied more advanced lines and positions during offensive operations in the Zaporizhia region," repeating the statements it made on Saturday.

In its morning report, the Ukrainian army contented itself with saying that "more than 15 towns were targeted by Russian artillery" in the Zaporizhia region on Saturday.

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