Europe 1 with AFP 2:23 p.m., January 22, 2023, modified at 2:25 p.m., January 22, 2023

On the 332nd day of the war in Ukraine, the Russian army announced that it was advancing towards two villages in southern Ukraine, Orikhiv and Gulyaipole, located in the Zaporizhia region, where clashes also intensified this week.

On Saturday, the Russian army claimed to have carried out "offensive operations" in this region.

THE ESSENTIAL

The Russian army is advancing towards two villages in the Zaporizhia region of southern Ukraine, where clashes with troops from kyiv have intensified this week, a leader of the regional authority said on Sunday. occupation installed by Moscow.

"The front is mobile, especially in two directions: Orikhiv and Gulyaipole," said Vladimir Rogov, a leader of the regional occupation authority installed by Moscow, quoted by the Russian news agency Ria Novosti.

The main information:

  • The Russian army is advancing in the Zaporizhia region, in particular towards the cities of Orikhiv and Gulyaipole, Moscow said

  • Russian "offensive operations" were also carried out in the Zaporizhia region, the Russian army also claimed

These two towns, each of about 15,000 inhabitants before the war, are respectively 65 km and 100 km south-east of Zaporijjia, capital of the eponymous region, controlled by Ukrainian troops.

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

The Russian Ministry of Defense, for its part, assured Sunday, in its daily update, that "the units of the Eastern Military District occupied more advantageous lines and positions, during offensive operations in the Zaporizhia region", reiterating its remarks from yesterday.

In its morning bulletin, the Ukrainian army, for its part, only indicated that, on Saturday, "more than 15 localities had been targeted by Russian artillery" in the Zaporijjia region.

Also on Saturday, the Russian army claimed to have carried out "offensive operations" in this region, taking "advantageous lines and positions" along the way.

Earlier this week, Vladimir Rogov had, for his part, indicated that "the intensity of hostilities" had "sharply" increased "along the entire front line" in this region of southern Ukraine.

The line of contact between the Ukrainian and Russian armies in the Zaporijjia region has been stabilized for several months without major combat, unlike the regions of Donetsk (East) and Kherson (South).