Ukraine’s military intelligence agency (HUR) said on Monday, May 18, that Ukrainian special forces had regained control over key parts of Stepnohirsk in the Zaporizhzhia region following intensive urban combat operations against Russian troops. According to HUR, fighters from the Artan special unit carried out a series of coordinated assault operations together with neighboring Ukrainian units aimed at pushing Russian forces out of the town and stabilizing the situation there.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “Russian occupying forces were driven from fortified positions, and key locations in Stepnohirsk came under the control of Ukraine’s Security and Defense Forces,” HUR said. The agency also released video footage showing the combat operations. Urban combat and drone attacks According to HUR, Russian forces attempted to strike Ukrainian assault groups with an FPV drone as they advanced into the town, but the drone was destroyed. The fighting took place in dense urban conditions, with Ukrainian troops conducting house-to-house clearing operations supported by aerial reconnaissance and precision fire. “Each building was checked for traps and remaining enemy personnel,” Artan commander Viktor Torkotiuk said. “We do not rule out that the enemy will continue trying to re-enter the town, but we are ready for this,” he added. HUR said combat operations in the area are ongoing. On May 11, The Economist reported that for the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion started in 2022, the initiative appears to be shifting in Ukraine’s favor.