Russian 7th Air Assault Division units exhibited particularly low activity in the Stepnohirsk area of Zaporizhzhia region during January 2026, following a failed frontal assault on the town center in December, according to a report by Thorkill65 on X posted within the reporting window from 4:45:38 PM to 6:15:31 PM UTC on February 3, 2026. Positional fighting with low intensity continued in the Stepnohirsk-Lukyanivske area. The advance of Russian paratrooper sub-units toward the apartment block district on Molodizhna Street (47.58942, 35.3640) was halted by an assault company of Brazilian-Colombian mercenaries within the International Legion, subordinated to the 8th 'Aretta' Battalion of the 253rd 'Arey' Assault Regiment of the Ukrainian Defense Forces, as detailed in the Thorkill65 analysis. This marks the second recent combat success for these South American mercenary units, the first being the recapture of Radkivka village north of Kupiansk in October 2025 while under the 13th 'Khartia' National Guard Brigade. Units of the Russian 104th Air Assault Division displayed greater activity east of Stepnohirsk in the responsibility zone of Ukraine's 128th Mountain Assault Brigade, per the same source. The 328th Regiment repeatedly entered Lukyanivske village using sabotage and reconnaissance groups but failed to consolidate positions in buildings. Further southeast in the Pavlivka-Novoiavorivka area, sub-units of the Russian 154th Separate Reconnaissance Battalion from the 104th VDV Division conducted repeated deep infiltration attempts into Ukrainian lines of the 2nd Assault Battalion of the 128th Brigade via the Norovska Ravine (47.5658, 35.4706130), according to Thorkill65. The report cuts off while describing the objective of the 104th Division's offensive actions east of Stepnohirsk.
