Russia is attempting to advance through the thickets of the Kakhovka Sea: how it is happening.

According to ТСН: After the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant in 2023, the bottom of the reservoir has been overgrown with dense bushes, which the Russian military is using for covert advancement towards Zaporizhzhia. The Ukrainian Defense Forces have been documenting such actions since the summer of 2025.

Military actions in the reservoir area

According to reports from the Southern Defense Forces, the Russian command tried to break through to Ukrainian positions near Prymorskyi through the former reservoir, which has become heavily overgrown with reeds up to several meters high. According to military information, these groups were detected and destroyed.

“This area well conceals movements, although it can be observed using drones,”

— noted spokesman for the Southern Defense Forces Vladislav Voloshyn. In addition, on November 4, the GUR reported a successful operation in the 'gray zones' near Velyki Kuchuhury, where Russian troops were eliminated at a distance of about seven kilometers from the coastline.

Strategic importance of the territory

Commander of the 128th separate heavy mechanized brigade 'Wild Field' Oleg Tyahnybok explained that this area is important for Russia as it is a short route to Zaporizhzhia. After unsuccessful attempts to advance through Orikhiv, the Russians concentrated their forces in the Kamianske direction, trying to use the overgrown bottom of the reservoir for covert maneuvers.

After the water receded, the former Kakhovka reservoir began to quickly overgrow. Acting head of the nature protection sector of the National Reserve 'Khortytsia' Mykhailo Mulenko noted that the height of the vegetation now reaches 5–5.5 meters, and in some places up to 7 meters. Willows and poplars are actively growing, creating dense thickets where movement is challenging.

“Thickets, ravines, and valleys create natural cover, complicating visual observation and drone control,”

— said spokesman for the Ukrainian Volunteer Army Serhiy Bratchuk. According to him, battles regularly continue in the 'gray zones', on islands, and in coastal areas, and both sides are actively mining the drained areas.

Recording attempts of enemy advancement

Co-founder of the DeepState project Roman Pohorilyi noted that the bottom of the former reservoir is not the main route for Russian troops. Occasionally, attempts to advance are observed in the areas of Prymorskyi and Kamianske, but they have not achieved significant success; the enemy acts more actively in the area of Plavni.

Experts believe that potential threats concern not only the Zaporizhzhia region but also the adjacent territories of Kherson and Mykolaiv, where the landscape has also undergone significant changes. The Ukrainian military continuously conducts operations to clear the 'gray zones' and islands to reduce the threat of covert enemy advancement.

These events in the territory of the former Kakhovka reservoir indicate that the situation in the region remains tense. Control over the overgrown areas can play an important role in further military operations and impact the overall strategic situation at the front.