The movements of the Russian military in Zaporizhia region may indicate that Russian forces cannot protect critical areas against the background of intensifying Ukrainian strikes, analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believe.

“The potential withdrawal from Polohy is particularly notable as the settlement lies at a critical road junction, and Russian forces would likely have a harder time defending Tokmak from potential Ukrainian operations without control of that junction. The withdrawal from a critical position may suggest that Russian forces cannot defend the entire frontline in Zaporizhia region and are prioritizing where to concentrate forces. It is just as likely that Russian forces are reorienting their grouping in Zaporizhia region and may move different personnel back into these settlements, however,” it is stated in the report for December 1.

In addition, the Russian Federation holds reserves in Crimea to support defensive operations in Zaporizhia region and on the eastern bank of Dnipro.

Russian troops also continue to defend Svatove-Kreminna line and conduct defensive measures with the transfer of personnel on the eastern bank of Dnipro in Kherson region.

At the same time, Russian troops continue to build on the successes in Bakhmut area and conduct offensive operations in Avdiyivka–Donetsk area.

It is noted that the Russian occupation authorities continue their attempts to integrate the occupied territories into the financial and legal sphere of Russia. Thus, representative of the occupation administration in Zaporizhia region, Vladimir Rogov, announced plans to withdraw Ukrainian hryvnia from circulation from January 1, 2023. In particular, he said that all enterprises of Zaporizhia region should exchange their hryvnia for rubles by the end of 2022.

It is also reported that Russian forces continued to use the Ukrainian civilian population and civilian infrastructure to support Russia's military actions in Ukraine.