Ukrainian troops have withdrawn from the village of Novovasylivske in the Polohy district of Zaporizhzhia region, the Defense Forces of the South said Saturday.
“Due to the regrouping of battle formations, a change in the configuration of the contact line, and to preserve the lives of service members, our units were withdrawn from the settlement of Novovasylivske to positions more advantageous for defense,” the statement reads.
Ukrainian forces said efforts continue to block Russian advances and deliver “combined fire” against the enemy. At the same time, Russian troops have not reduced the intensity of assaults, artillery barrages and strikes across Zaporizhzhia and the southern part of Dnipropetrovsk region.
Over the past day, there were nearly 40 clashes along the Oleksandrivka and Hulyaipole axes, according to the statement. Russian forces “continue assaults on positions and attempts to infiltrate deeper into Ukrainian defenses.”
More than 350 attacks were recorded, involving over 1,500 munitions, the command said. Russian losses were put at nearly 300 personnel and 58 pieces of equipment, including a tank, armored vehicles, various artillery systems and light motor vehicles.
Fighting in Zaporizhzhia remains intense. On November 12, Ukrainian forces pulled back from positions near the village of Rivnopillia, while saying Russian advances had been halted.
A day earlier, reports said Russian forces captured three villages in the region, and Ukraine’s military withdrew from positions near six settlements.
