According to the OSINT project Unit Observer (WarUnitObserver), this maneuver was a response to Ukraine’s reinforcement of the front and a series of counterattacks by the Armed Forces of Ukraine in late January and early February 2026.

The 68th Army Corps of the Eastern Military District of the Russian Federation, which previously operated in the Pokrovsk-Dobropillia section, has returned to the Vostok group.

Currently, the units of the corps are storming positions west of Huliaipole, in particular near the village of Hirke. The 40th Marine Brigade (military unit 10103) also appeared on the southern front. Previously, the brigade suffered heavy losses in Donetsk and Sumy regions.