He recalled that Varvarivka, Dobropillia and Pryluky are located on a key logistics route linking the settlement of Pokrovske in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast with Huliaipole.
“Fierce fighting is ongoing there, and enemy groups are also trying to infiltrate, move closer to our positions and even penetrate deeper into our rear. But we are destroying the enemy there, and it is incorrect to say that Varvarivka has been occupied — fighting is currently continuing on the outskirts of the settlement,” he said.
He also stressed that weather conditions have complicated the situation, giving Russian forces an opportunity to operate covertly.
“There was thick fog, rain and fog again, which helped the enemy try to move unnoticed into our rear. That is why clashes occurred, and we recorded them near the settlement of Varvarivka,” he explained.
On Dec. 11, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces reported that fighters from the 33rd Separate Assault Regiment stopped an attempted Russian breakthrough toward Dobropillia on the Huliaipole axis in Zaporizhzhya Oblast.