ROSTOV-ON-DON. July 12 (Interfax) - Ukrainian assault forces were redeployed to the villages of Lobkovoye and Stepovoye on the contact line in the Zaporozhye region overnight, fierce fighting is taking place, and the enemy has been suffering significant casualties, Yevgeny Balitsky, acting governor of the Kherson region, said.
"Last night, the enemy redeployed its main attack forces to Lobkovoye and Stepovoye, and moving targets were hit. [...] The fighting is fierce, and the enemy is suffering substantial casualties," Balitsky said on Telegram.
The enemy began artillery preparation at 4 a.m., with infantry deployed in three directions from Lobkovoye and Pyatikhatki at 5:30 a.m. The deployed units were spotted in the vicinity of Lobkovoye.
"The enemy was hit and suffered substantial casualties. Its retreat revealed [their] routes of withdrawal, and another strike was delivered. Another group deployed from Pyatikhatki came under heavy fire and was pushed back," Balitsky said.
The third Ukrainian attack group retreated from the southern outskirts of Pyatikhatki, and a drone dropped a fragmentation shell on the retreating infantry, he said.