In a major battlefield development that could reshape the dynamics of the southern front, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced on Wednesday that its forces had captured the village of Novouspenovskoye in Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region after what it called a “deep advance” into Ukrainian defensive lines.
Moscow said the assault was carried out by Battlegroup East units of the Russian army, which “completed the liberation” of the settlement following intense fighting that reportedly resulted in over 1,200 Ukrainian casualties across all frontlines in the previous 24 hours.
Ukraine’s military, however, described the move as a tactical withdrawal amid overwhelming artillery fire, citing the destruction of fortifications and supply routes under relentless bombardment.
A Small Village, A Strategic Gain
The fall of Novouspenovskoye, a rural hamlet with a pre-war population of fewer than 100, carries outsized strategic importance. Located roughly ten kilometers southwest of Huliapole, it sits on a key approach route toward Orikhiv, a linchpin of Ukraine’s southern defenses and a gateway to the regional capital of Zaporizhzhia.
The Russian Defense Ministry said that assault units from the 114th Motorized Rifle Regiment, part of the 127th Division under the 5th Guards Combined Arms Army, spearheaded the offensive. After securing the nearby settlement of Novoye on November 10, Russian troops advanced southward, attacking Ukrainian positions with concentrated artillery and air support.
“The enemy fled in disarray, leaving behind equipment and ammunition,” a Russian commander claimed in a statement published by the ministry.
Footage released by pro-Russian military channels showed armored columns of T-90 tanks and BMP-3 infantry vehicles entering the smoke-covered village as troops raised the Russian flag over a damaged administrative building.
Ukraine Confirms Withdrawal Under Heavy Fire
The Ukrainian Southern Defense Forces confirmed the withdrawal from Novouspenovskoye and four neighboring villages — Novoye, Rivnopillia, Solodke, and Yablukove — citing the destruction of defensive positions following sustained Russian shelling.
Captain Volodymyr Voloshyn, a Ukrainian army spokesperson, said the retreat was necessary to preserve troops and prevent encirclement.
“The intensity of attacks forced us to reposition to more defensible lines. Every metre of our land costs Russia hundreds of lives,” he stated.
According to Ukrainian reports, Russian forces launched around 2,000 artillery shells in a single day against the sector, flattening trenches and field shelters that had held since last winter. Satellite imagery analyzed by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) showed Russian territorial gains of approximately five square kilometers in the area, with multiple “grey zones” now contested near Huliapole.
Conflicting Casualty Figures and the Fog of War
The two sides presented sharply contrasting casualty figures, underscoring the opaque nature of battlefield reporting in the conflict.
Russia claimed its forces killed or wounded 1,200 Ukrainian soldiers across the frontlines between November 11 and 12, destroying 15 tanks, 28 armored vehicles, and 12 artillery systems, including Western-supplied M777 howitzers. Moscow also said it had struck two ammunition depots and a Ukrainian command post in Zaporizhzhia.
Ukraine countered with its own tallies, asserting that Russian forces lost roughly 1,000 personnel and 12 tanks during the same period.
Independent verification of these figures remains impossible, though open-source researchers from Mediazona and BBC Russian have confirmed over 145,000 Russian military deaths since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022.
Military analysts note that Russia continues to fire four to five times more artillery shells daily than Ukraine — a disparity that increasingly shapes the balance of attrition along the front.
A Strategic Shift in the Southern Front
The advance in Novouspenovskoye marks Russia’s most significant movement in Zaporizhzhia in months. Since the failure of Ukraine’s 2023 counteroffensive, which aimed to reach the Sea of Azov, Russian forces have steadily regrouped and reinforced their positions.
Analysts warn that control over Novouspenovskoye enables Moscow’s troops to flank Ukrainian defenses along the Gaichur River and threaten Orikhiv, a town that played a central role in Ukraine’s attempts to cut Russian supply lines last year.
According to Jack Watling of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), the development could mirror the pattern seen in the fall of Avdiivka earlier this year — a slow encirclement followed by rapid collapse once defensive lines broke.
“The capture of Novouspenovskoye is a tactical step that could trigger broader Ukrainian withdrawals if reinforcements are not deployed soon,” Watling said.
Pressure Mounts Across the Frontlines
The setback in Zaporizhzhia coincides with fresh Russian offensives further east. Moscow claims its forces have advanced into Pokrovsk and parts of Kupiansk, cities that Ukraine considers vital to holding the Donetsk and Kharkiv regions.
Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, General Oleksandr Syrskyi, acknowledged that the situation in Zaporizhzhia and Pokrovsk had “significantly worsened.”
He said Russian troops, exploiting heavy fog and poor visibility, infiltrated Ukrainian lines and captured three more settlements in the Oleksandrivka and Huliapole directions.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, visiting Kherson on Tuesday, admitted that weather conditions had favored Russian advances but emphasized that Ukrainian forces were “regrouping and preparing countermeasures.”
Meanwhile, Russian military bloggers report that up to 150,000 Russian soldiers have been concentrated around Pokrovsk, as Moscow pursues its long-standing goal of capturing Donetsk’s key transport hubs.
A War of Attrition and Exhaustion
Nearly 1,000 days into the war, both armies are showing signs of fatigue. Ukraine continues to struggle with manpower shortages and dwindling ammunition stocks, while Russia relies increasingly on convicts, reservists, and mercenaries to sustain its offensive tempo.
Despite Western aid — including the $61 billion U.S. package approved in April 2024 — Ukraine’s defensive capabilities are being tested by Russia’s superior drone reconnaissance and persistent air strikes.
At the same time, international attention is waning. European officials have issued repeated condemnations of Russian aggression, but concrete actions have been limited as Western governments face domestic fatigue and shifting political priorities.
The Human Cost and What Next?
For the few civilians remaining in Novouspenovskoye, the Russian “liberation” has come at a devastating price. Entire streets lie in ruins, electricity is cut, and humanitarian access remains impossible. Local fields — once sources of grain and livelihood — are now scarred by craters and unexploded shells.
As winter approaches, the situation across the Zaporizhzhia front remains fluid. Whether the capture of Novouspenovskoye represents the start of a larger Russian breakthrough or simply another phase in this grinding war of attrition remains unclear.
What is certain is that the human toll continues to rise. With more than 1.15 million people estimated dead or wounded on both sides, Europe’s bloodiest conflict since World War II shows no sign of ending soon.
