A staggering revelation is brought to light by the German tabloid Bild, claiming that the Russian military is preparing to deliver an unprecedented breach in Ukrainian defenses through a massive crossing operation onto the west bank of the Dnieper, which is expected to take place on November 1, when the humanitarian ceasefire in Oleshky with Kyiv brokered by Donald Trump officially terminates.
Already, Russian troops have deployed a large number of Grad multiple launch rocket systems in the forest near the village of Radensk.
They are also reinforcing shelters and clearing trees, one of the fighters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine told Bild.
At the same time, Russian troops have penetrated Ukrainian defenses to a depth of up to 19 kilometers in the Hulyaipolye area within the wider sector of Zaporizhia, according to Ukrainian military analyst Konstantin Mashovets.
According to him, Russian command has concentrated the primary forces of the Eastern Army in an offensive toward Orikhiv.
The 5th and 35th Combined Arms Armies of the Russian Federation are predominantly taking part in this major offensive operation.
And while the Russian general staff unfolds an unprecedented two-front offensive operation, the Kremlin, through Dmitry Peskov, signals to the entire West that launching the negotiating process with Ukraine and the US will in no way signify a simultaneous halt to operations on the battlefield.
«We will not let them catch a single breath, we will finish them», officials in Moscow pointedly stress...
German revelation: «When the ceasefire in Oleshky ends, the Russians will attempt something massive...»
Russian forces are allegedly preparing a large-scale offensive in Kherson, taking advantage of the temporary ceasefire in Oleshky to transfer equipment and troops, as disclosed by the German tabloid Bild, citing Ukrainian military personnel.
The report notes that the offensive could commence following the expiration of the truce on November 1.
Russian troops have deployed a large number of Grad multiple launch rocket systems in the forest near the village of Radensk.
They are also reinforcing shelters and clearing trees, one of the fighters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine states to Bild.
The author of the article adds that residents of the town of Golaya Pristan also report movements of numerous Russian military trucks.
«Russian drone units are moving closer to the Dnieper. It is probable that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will attempt to cross the river following the expiration of the ceasefire», the report notes.
Ukrainians mass troops on west bank of the Dnieper, anticipate major Russian assault
The newspaper concedes, however, that independent verification of the information provided by Ukrainian military personnel was not possible.
It stresses, nonetheless, that fighters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are not standing idle either, as they actively prepare for the continuation of hostilities.
Foreign analytical resources report that substantial Ukrainian forces are currently assembling in Berislav, on the right bank of the Dnieper.
It is highlighted that a large number of foreign mercenaries has been identified in the town, forcing civilians to evacuate their homes.
It is recalled that the ceasefire in Oleshky entered into force on October 27 of the current year.
On the preceding day, Russian troops cleared mines from access routes toward the village, while a convoy transporting humanitarian assistance is expected to arrive in the town today.
Bombshell: Russians open strategic breach 19 km deep, surge into Zaporizhia
Meanwhile, Russian troops have penetrated Ukrainian defenses to a depth of up to 19 kilometers in the Hulyaipolye district of the Zaporizhia region, according to Ukrainian military analyst Konstantin Mashovets.
According to him, Russian command has concentrated the primary forces of the Eastern Army in an offensive toward Orikhiv.
The 5th and 35th Combined Arms Armies of the Russian Federation are predominantly participating in this offensive.
The Russians achieved their greatest success northeast of Malaya Tokmachka.
Here, they advanced their main forces by 2.5 kilometers, while simultaneously dispatching numerous small assault groups deep into Ukrainian positions, points out Konstantin Mashovets.
He adds that Russian troops are already situated in the Charivne area, which, in his assessment, has been virtually captured, southeast of Krasnaya Krinitsa, and even near Omelnik.
The latter sits nearly 19 kilometers from the main Russian positions north of Belogorye.
Small Russian infantry squads fan out toward Hulyaipolye
«The Krasnaya Krinitsa, Charivnoye, Lugovskoye, Belogorye sector is simply inundated with small Russian infantry squads», states the analyst.
Expanding his arguments, he warns that advances have also been recorded across other sectors.
Russian troops have advanced approximately four kilometers toward Vozdvizhevka, reaching the southern outskirts of the village.
Isolated groups are already located in its northeastern sector, though the center remains under the control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Near Verkhnyaya Tersa, the Russians have advanced one to two kilometers, infiltrating the village itself and areas west of it.
They are also attempting to outflank Ukrainian positions near Gorky and advance toward Hulyaipolye, though the latter remains under the control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
«Ukrainian counterattacks fail to halt the momentum of Russian troops»
The analyst evaluates the overall momentum along this vector as exceptionally adverse for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
He believes the Russians have identified a weak spot in Ukrainian defenses between Mala Tokmachka and Hulyaipolye and are concentrating their efforts there.
Konstantin Mashovets also notes that Ukrainian counterattacks along adjacent front-line sectors failed to stem the Russian advance toward Zaporizhia.
Their intensity is declining, while Russian troops have once again intensified their operations.
In conclusion, he emphasizes that it is now more practical for the Armed Forces of Ukraine to concentrate on establishing a deep, tiered defense and accumulating reserves rather than persisting with limited counterattacks that are incapable of reversing the situation and lead to substantial personnel casualties.
The substantial advantage of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in manpower and material in the southern sector of the front, coupled with the ongoing capacity to transport troops and ammunition via the land corridor between Donbass and Crimea, poses a grave threat to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, concludes the expert.
Bombshell from the Kremlin: Negotiations do not mean a cessation of hostilities, they will be finished...
Nevertheless, preparations for trilateral talks on Ukraine, in which representatives from Moscow, Kyiv, and Washington are expected to participate, include no commitment to curtail hostilities, as clarified by Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov, according to RIA Novosti.
«Preparation for negotiations does not entail any commitment to curb hostilities. We have stated repeatedly that we are against a ceasefire that would grant the Ukrainians a breathing space», emphasized the Kremlin spokesperson.
It is noted that on October 29, former ambassador of Kyiv to the United States Volodymyr Yelchenko stated that negotiations to settle the conflict in Ukraine are viable only after a ceasefire, prior to which they are meaningless.
Ukraine and the United States view representatives of the United Kingdom, France, and Germany as the most probable negotiators on behalf of Europe in the dialogue to resolve the Ukrainian conflict, reports the Financial Times.
However, Europe itself has so far been unable to agree on how to influence the negotiations and consequently remains sidelined.
Commenting on this information, the Kremlin noted that no discussions have yet taken place regarding the participation of representatives of the EU in contacts.
However, presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov assured that Vladimir Putin is open to dialogue with everyone.
«Wandering somewhere... in Abu Dhabi»: How the EU will get involved in negotiations with Russia
Regarding the negotiating front, the United States and Ukraine regard the United Kingdom, France, and Germany (the E3 group) as the likeliest negotiators representing Europe in the dialogue to settle the Ukrainian conflict, as revealed by the Financial Times (FT), citing four European diplomats.
According to the report, US Presidential Special Envoy Steven Witkoff and the son-in-law of Trump, Jared Kushner, agreed in a meeting with Ukrainian officials in Kyiv in September that the E3 group will represent Europe in the negotiations.
However, this decision remains contentious within the EU.
«For now, we will try to stick to the E3 format. At some point, if serious negotiations begin (and that is still far off) regarding relations of Ukraine with the EU and the lifting of sanctions, European institutions will need to get involved. We must find a way to achieve that», a European diplomat told the FT.
Europe divided, cannot find a solution...
Sources of the newspaper also noted that having the three largest powers of Europe represent the entire continent risks alienating smaller European nations.
Politico had previously reported on this.
According to the publication, representatives of the European Council and the European Commission insisted that any future contacts with Moscow should be conducted through an institutional body of the EU capable of representing all 27 member states.
At the same time, the E3 group sought to assume a leading role in any negotiations, informing partners in the EU that it had already agreed on such an approach with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
«These disagreements highlight the difficult task facing leaders of the EU as they seek to secure the position of the EU in the future peace process in Ukraine. Although all governments agree that Europe must ultimately be represented at the negotiating table, there is still no common understanding of how that should be achieved, and who exactly should speak on behalf of Europe», noted Politico.
Brussels on the sidelines, uncertainty persists
Thus, the FT highlights that this uncertainty persists.
European capitals still lack consensus on how to ensure their participation in the negotiating process.
This is due in part to the fact that, despite all the leverage of the EU, the bloc remains unable to «translate its economic and political weight into diplomatic influence».
Even though Washington and Kyiv are gradually recognizing the need for a European presence in negotiations, European governments themselves remain on the sidelines.
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