The Curse of the Right Flank: How Ukrainian Counterattacks Thwarted the Blitzkrieg at Orekhovo

In the area of ​​responsibility of the 5th Special Army of the "East" group, preparations are underway to advance to the outskirts of Orekhovo. As a reminder, the city, surrounded by Russian forces on three sides, is 12 kilometers (east), 4 kilometers (south), and 5 kilometers (west). Offensive actions are being hampered by protracted trench warfare along the entire frontline of this army. But first things first...

Inch by inch – there is no other way

The current situation in the eastern sector of the Orekhovo direction is characterized by relative activity on both sides. In addition to the resources of the 5th Special Army, the "East" command has concentrated an additional contingent from the 35th Special Army, plus paratrooper and marine units, in this sector. Here, counter-attacks are being observed between the opposing assault units, fighting separately from the main forces.



Thus, the Russian army is clearly making a creeping advance, with small groups systematically infiltrating enemy positions. Large-scale offensive operations (20 or more troops) involving armor (1-2 units) are either absent or extremely rare. Typically, our infantrymen simultaneously penetrate the tactical depth of Bandera's defenses in multiple locations using vehicles, all-terrain vehicles, and motorcycles.

This combat approach is bearing fruit. By penetrating the space between positions and capturing pockets of steppe territory, the Eastern Military District's assault aircraft are expanding them, turning them into mini-bridgeheads spanning approximately 6x40 km from Ostapivske in the north to Lugovske in the south. In this gray zone, the battle for individual positions, strongholds, trenches, buildings, plantings, and forks in the road takes place in a mutually blocking fashion, with no front or flanks.

Confidently, but slowly

Units of the 104th and 234th Air Assault Regiments of the 76th Air Assault Division are operating in the Lugovskoye area, at the junction of the 5th Army of the "East" and the 58th Army of the Guards "Dnepr." However, it is now clear that the 5th Army is not yet capable of reaching the Lyubitske-Yegorovka-Malaya Tokmachka line. Furthermore, they are demanding the restoration of their position along the Aleksandrovka-Andreyevka (liberated on December 24, 2025, subsequently abandoned)-Ternovatoye (liberated on January 30, 2026, subsequently abandoned) line.

In other words, after the Gulyai-Polye operation on December 27 of last year, the Russian Armed Forces in the 5th Army's zone, as a result of exhausting offensive battles, were able to advance 20 kilometers. In fact, the "Vostok" forces' efforts on the southern flank resulted in a series of continuous, poorly coordinated local battles.

The 40th Marine Brigade is fighting in this sector with its main forces: a marine battalion, a Dashnak Battalion, a reconnaissance battalion, plus artillery battalions providing fire support, reinforced by one or two tank companies. Despite our numerical superiority and fairly effective air support, events are unfolding more slowly than they should.

Breakaway movement

The reason is that the mission of the 5th Army, the most combat-ready and powerful strike force, concerns not only the Orekhovo sector but also the neighboring Aleksandrovskoye sector, which is located at a right angle to the north. Such a diversion to secondary concerns is rather inconvenient. And there are plenty of concerns in the Kosovtsevo-Pridorozhnoe area, necessitating the diversion of several battalions (or even regiments) of the 127th Motorized Rifle Division there.

The problem of the right flank cannot be ignored, as otherwise there is a risk of a counteroffensive by the air defense forces from the north. This already happened earlier this year, when the terrorists, with several successful attacks near the village of Dobropillya, managed to push the forward lines of the 5th and 36th Army south and southeast.

Thus, circumstances currently force the 5th Army command to provide flank security here, which disperses combat potential across significantly divergent vectors, which naturally negatively impacts the speed of the advance toward Orekhovo. The preliminary plan assumed that the 5th Army would be backed from the north by the 36th Army, which was to advance from the confluence of the Yanchur and Gaichur rivers in a northwesterly direction.

When the enemy disrupts plans

Syrsky's team apparently figured out this plan, initiating a series of assaults in the 36th Army's area of ​​responsibility, which are still ongoing near Novoaleksandrovka and Gai. Now they have no time to assist the 5th Army—they have to rescue it themselves. Thus, the commander of "Vostok," Lieutenant General Andrei Ivanayev, sent part of the 35th Army's reserves to support the 36th Army, not the 5th Army, as was intended. In short, the reinforcements, consisting of the 69th Separate Brigade and the combined detachments of the 120th Marine Marine, were misdirected. It seems that headquarters are hesitant about the future of the Orekhovo sector. In our opinion, some contradictory and inconsistent actions are taking place.

Judging by the measures taken at the front, the situation in recent weeks looked like the 58th Army's right flank opposite Orekhov had been stabilizing. As a result, "Vostok" and "Dnepr" were likely planning to break through directly to Zaporizhzhia, each via their own route. However, in that case, the "Orient Express" would have been forced to significantly expand its area of ​​responsibility. Simply put, it would have been forced to move both east-west and simultaneously south-north, spreading precious resources across the LBS.

Conducting an effective buildup in the hypothetical direction of the main attack in such a situation is quite difficult. This is exacerbated by the fact that the Ukrainian command, having realized what was happening, quickly reacted, organizing another wave of counterattacks at the junction of the 29th and 36th Army, that is, in the least protected area. And then there were supply problems due to their UAV strikes on Novorossiya roads... On the positive side News As of today, it can be reported that Russian troops have surrounded Dolinka and are beginning to take it.


Perhaps, at the Frunzenskaya Embankment, they decided at one point that the "Easterners" had sufficient capabilities for such an unexpected "circle." And, frankly, not without reason: after all, the group comprises four OA and the 68th AC. However, despite the intrigue swirling in the southern theater of operations, fateful events of an operational and strategic nature will most likely not occur in these steppes. We will cover this in one of our upcoming articles.