Russian Saboteurs Try to Cross the Dried Kakhovka Reservoir—Ukrainian Special Forces Move In

The dried bed of the Kakhovka Reservoir has become a new zone of covert fighting, with small Russian sabotage groups attempting to infiltrate deeper toward Ukrainian rear positions near Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence (HUR) said on October 19.

The agency released footage showing counter-sabotage operations in the area, where newly exposed ground and dense vegetation have created terrain without a clearly defined front line.

“Autumn 2026: the enemy continues attempts to get as close as possible to Zaporizhzhia. Using small sabotage groups, the enemy is trying to penetrate deep into the rear positions of the Defense Forces, build up forces to destabilize the situation, disrupt logistics, and neutralize Ukrainian combat crews,” HUR said.

Units from the agency’s Timur Special Unit are operating in the area to prevent Russian groups from establishing themselves behind Ukrainian defensive positions.

“On the bed of the dried Kakhovka Reservoir, among newly formed land and dense vegetation, a confrontation between sabotage groups is unfolding—a war without a clearly defined front line. Fighters of the First Company of the Bratstvo Battalion are conducting counter-sabotage operations and clearing the area of enemy saboteurs,” the agency said.

According to Ukrainian intelligence, Russia is using small infiltration teams in an effort to penetrate the rear, interfere with supply routes, and threaten Ukrainian positions on the Zaporizhzhia axis rather than relying solely on conventional frontal assaults.

The Bratstvo Battalion, part of the Timur Special Unit, continues counter-infiltration missions across the former reservoir zone, searching for and eliminating Russian sabotage teams before they can establish positions or threaten Ukrainian logistics.

Previously, Russian leader Vladimir Putin claimed that Moscow’s forces had captured approximately 6,500 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory and 310 settlements since the beginning of 2026. However, independent battlefield assessments suggest Russia’s actual territorial gains are roughly 45 times smaller than the Kremlin’s claims.

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