Ukrainian officials are anticipating a renewed Russian offensive in the south of the country, pointing to newly arrived military equipment at the border between occupied and free territories.
"An echelon of older T-62 tanks just arrived in Melitopol," the Southern Zaporizhya Regional Administration said in a Telegram message.
Smaller administrations in the region are also seeing an increased troop presence.
"Thirty tanks and armored vehicles have entered the village of Kyrylivka today. Locals report that practically all streets are lined with these war machines," added the statement.
Residents of Novohirka are reporting an increased presence of Russian soldiers, who have established a camp in a school in the village of Vasylivvka, making Russian soldiers more numerous than Ukrainian citizens.
"Despite that, Russians continue to loot civilian houses. They take everything they see," wrote the Southern Zaporizhya authorities.
Moreover, Russian artillery and planes have intensified their shelling and bombing campaigns in the south of the country. Areas closest to the demarcation line that separates free and occupied Ukraine, mostly villages, are seeing increasing devastation.
Zaporizhya, a place that became home for thousands of evacuees from Donbass and Mariupol, has seen four air strikes in recent days that have killed and injured dozens.
In Kherson, Russia launched its first minor offensive operation in months, likely testing the Ukrainian defenses. The operational command "South" of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on the offensive in a Facebook post.
"The enemy has conducted three Mi-8 helicopter attacks, with 2-3 helicopters in each attacking group. One of the groups has been intercepted and destroyed, the others flew back to initial positions," the Facebook post read.
An analysis by the Institute for the Study of War, a U.S.-based think tank that researches and analyzes issues of defense and foreign affairs, concluded that the possibility of a renewed offensive is high.
"Russian forces are likely preparing for Ukrainian counteroffensives and settling in for protracted operations in southern Ukraine," its most recent dispatch read.
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