“Maneuvers”, “skirmishes”… What exactly is happening on the southern front?

What if, in addition to being in difficulty in the Russian region of Kursk and in the Donbass, the Ukrainians were soon on the decline on the southern front? The hypothesis, which emerged in recent weeks, was officially formulated by the spokesperson for the Ukrainian army in this sector, which extends from Kherson to Vuhledar, via Zaporizhia. “The Russians have been preparing for some time to carry out assault operations in several directions”explained Vladyslav Voloshyn to theAgence France-Presse (AFP), on Tuesday November 12.

Weak signals and first attacks

In fact, observers of the conflict note that the Russians are already carrying out these assaults. Localized offensives, not very spectacular, but which sometimes lead to notable gains.

In recent months, the Russians have recaptured most of the Orikhiv-Robotyne pocket, which the Ukrainians had carved out in the summer of 2023 and from where they had hoped to break through the front. Since October, Russian troops have also gained ground at the junction with the eastern front, between the towns of Velyka Novossilka and Vuhledar. “A few weeks ago, the Russians had also advanced…