Key points: Russia's defence ministry says two settlements in Zaporizhzhia have been captured as Ukraine diverts troops north to defend Pokrovsk. Pro‑Ukrainian maps record roughly 19 miles of Russian advance in six weeks, and Russia controls about 70% of the Zaporizhzhia region, though the regional capital remains under Ukrainian control. Pokrovsk is contested with reports of house‑to‑house fighting and alleged Russian infiltrations. Analysts warn that continued reallocations of Ukrainian forces risk larger strategic setbacks and potential encirclements around Orikhiv and Huliaipole.
Russia Claims Capture of Two Zaporizhzhia Settlements as Ukraine Redirects Forces to Defend Pokrovsk
Key points: Russia's defence ministry says two settlements in Zaporizhzhia have been captured as Ukraine diverts troops north to defend Pokrovsk. Pro‑Ukrainian maps record roughly 19 miles of Russian advance in six weeks, and Russia controls about 70% of the Zaporizhzhia region, though the regional capital remains under Ukrainian control. Pokrovsk is contested with reports of house‑to‑house fighting and alleged Russian infiltrations. Analysts warn that continued reallocations of Ukrainian forces risk larger strategic setbacks and potential encirclements around Orikhiv and Huliaipole.
05:28 AM, 11/17/2025Conflict
Russia says it has taken two settlements as Kyiv shifts troops north
Moscow's defence ministry on Sunday said Russian forces had seized two settlements in the Zaporizhzhia region, moves it says place the strategically important towns of Orikhiv and Huliaipole at risk of encirclement. Kyiv has been concentrating forces farther north to hold the embattled city of Pokrovsk, leaving parts of the south-eastern front more exposed.
Holding the line in this sector is crucial to protecting the regional capital, Zaporizhzhia. Ukrainian commanders say they are trying to stabilise a front that stretches roughly 630 miles while simultaneously reinforcing defences in Donetsk, where the situation around Pokrovsk has been described as critical.
Pro-Ukrainian maps indicate Russian advances of about 19 miles across parts of Zaporizhzhia over the past six weeks. The Telegraph and other outlets have not independently verified Moscow's most recent claims, and Ukrainian officials had not immediately commented on the specific settlements named by the Russian Ministry of Defence.
Oleksandr Syrskyi, commander of Ukraine's armed forces, warned this week that the front-line situation in the region had "significantly worsened."
Latest battlefield reporting shows Pokrovsk sliding into a contested grey zone with fighting reported inside the city. Ukrainian officials have said that between 300 and 500 Russian soldiers used dense fog to infiltrate parts of Pokrovsk. Analysts and military bloggers have expressed concern that sustained pressure and manpower shortages could force difficult strategic choices for Kyiv.
A Ukrainian military spokesman acknowledged this week that forces had withdrawn from positions around five settlements to relocate to more "defensible positions," attributing the pullbacks to heavy Russian artillery, difficult weather and personnel shortages.
At the same time, quieter Russian advances have been reported near the intersection of Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions—areas Kyiv has sometimes deprioritised in favour of more urgent sectors. Russia now controls roughly 70% of Zaporizhzhia region, mainly in its east and south, though Ukraine retains control of the regional capital.
Commentators differ on Moscow's aims. Some analysts say Russia is attempting to force Ukrainian reinforcements into Zaporizhzhia and away from key fights such as Pokrovsk. The US-based Institute for the Study of War has warned Russian forces may try to encircle Huliaipole from the north-east and employ infiltration tactics to break Ukrainian defences. Military analyst Michael Kofman noted that much of the recent Russian push has been further south-west around the Zaporizhzhia–Dnipro–Donetsk border and has accelerated in recent weeks.
Prominent Ukrainian commentator Serhiy Sternenko warned on social media that the country risks a "strategic-scale catastrophe" without changes in military and political approaches. While some experts say Russian units are still prone to tactical underperformance, the cumulative effect of incremental territorial gains, local infiltrations and Ukrainian manpower shortages has raised alarm among defence observers.
This remains a fast-moving and contested situation. Many reported advances in the region are difficult to verify independently; official claims and battlefield maps should be treated cautiously as both sides continue to contest territory and information.