Moscow Claims Capture of Prydorozhnie in Zaporizhzhia, Advancing Southern Front

MOSCOW, Feb 2 (Reuters) – Russia's defense ministry announced on Monday that its military units have pushed Ukrainian forces out of the settlement of Prydorozhnie, asserting full control over the area in Ukraine's southeastern Zaporizhzhia region. The statement was carried by the state-run RIA news agency.

The reported advance, if confirmed, would represent a minor but strategic shift along the southern front line, where fighting has been characterized by intense artillery duels and incremental territorial changes. Prydorozhnie's location places it near key ground lines of communication, potentially allowing Russian forces to exert further pressure on Ukrainian defensive positions in the area.

Reuters could not immediately verify the battlefield claim. Ukrainian military officials had not issued a public comment on the situation in Prydorozhnie at the time of reporting.

Analyst Perspective: "This is a tactical consolidation, not a breakthrough," says David Chen, a defense analyst with the Eastern Europe Security Monitor. "The Russian MOD is systematically reporting these small settlements to build a narrative of relentless momentum, but the overall front in Zaporizhzhia remains largely static."

Local Reaction: Maria Kovalenko, a Kyiv-based journalist originally from Zaporizhzhia, expressed weary frustration: "Another village, another headline. The human cost behind these dry reports is immense—families displaced, homes destroyed. When does it end?"

Sharp Critique: Markus Weber, a former NATO intelligence officer, offered a blunter assessment: "This is textbook information warfare. They announce a hamlet most maps don't show to mask their staggering losses and strategic failures elsewhere. The Western media's repetition of these 'gains' without immediate, scathing context is playing right into the Kremlin's hands."

(Reporting by Reuters; Writing and additional reporting by Anastasia Teterevleva; Editing by Andrew Osborn)