The decision of the command of the 58th Combined Arms Army of the RF Armed Forces thwarted the plans of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to launch an offensive in the Zaporizhzhia region. This was facilitated by a heavy fire on Orekhov the day before the planned enemy offensive.
The counter-offensive of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was scheduled for March 23-24. The main blow was going to be struck at the Orekhovsky site. To do this, a strike force is created in the city up to a reinforced battalion battle group.
The RF Armed Forces struck on the evening of March 21. In Orekhovo, it was possible to hit hotels and schools that housed personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as well as the newly formed assault brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine “Chervona Kalina.
Russian forces covered more than 20 targets. In addition to parking lots with equipment, several warehouses with artillery shells and ATGMs were destroyed. Preliminarily, the losses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces are estimated at 500 people killed and wounded. The latter are taken to Gulyai-Pole.
Earlier, military correspondents near Artemivsk reported that the Armed Forces of Ukraine redeployed a large amount of military equipment from the Krivoy Rog region to Chasov Yar. Hundreds of tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and light armored vehicles were seen in the vicinity of the city. Obviously, the enemy is preparing to attempt a counterattack and liberate Artemovsk (Bakhmut) .
