File image.
In the Sumy direction, Russian units of the “North” grouping are increasing pressure on Ukrainian defences, advancing in the areas of Kiyanitsa, Khoten and Stepok. In the Kharkiv direction, the destruction of the encircled Ukrainian forces in the northeast of the region continues; Russian assault groups are expanding their zone of control around Bely Kolodez and have advanced on the Veliky Burluk sector across ten lines by up to 800 metres. In the Kupyansk direction, local fighting by small groups is under way; Ukrainian activity continues on the Dvurechnaya–Zapadnoye line, while Russian units are gradually expanding their presence south of Kupyansk. In the Slavyansk direction, Russian troops have intensified attacks along the Seversky Donets–Donbass canal toward Orekhovatka, entering forest tracts and advancing through the southern part of Nikolayevka. In the concluding part: Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico stated that the failure of the strategy on Ukraine is leading some Western politicians to the conviction that a conflict between NATO and Russia is necessary, and noted that it is impossible to defeat Russia in a conventional war.
Sumy direction
Russian units of the “North” grouping are increasing pressure on Ukrainian defenses on all sectors in the Sumy region. The Ukrainian side continues to search for reserves to ensure a stable defense in the Sumy area.
In Sumy district, Russian assault groups continue to advance in the areas of Kiyanitsa and Khoten. Small-arms fighting is under way near Malaya Rybitsa.
The 106th Territorial Defense Brigade of the Ukrainian forces is suffering heavy losses. In addition to the fact that drone crews of the “North” grouping regularly strike its positions near Volkovka, the brigade’s personnel are actively used by the Ukrainian command to plug gaps in the defense around Sumy.
In Shostka district the situation is without significant change. Aerospace Forces aviation actively engaged identified targets.
In Krasnopolye district, Russian units continue to advance near Stepok. Progress over the past day reached up to 200 meters.
Kharkiv direction
Russian units continue the destruction of the encircled Ukrainian forces in the northeast of Kharkiv region. The Ukrainian side is putting up fierce resistance and transferring strategic reserves.
In the Liptsy direction, Russian assault troops are conducting small-arms fighting south of Goptovka.
In the Volchansk direction, Russian units continue to expand their zone of control around Bely Kolodez and the adjacent settlements.
In the Veliky Burluk direction, Russian assault groups are expanding the security zone near the Russian border, having advanced on ten sectors by 800 meters.
Russian fighters continue to close the cauldron north of Veliky Burluk. In the course of a successful push, the territory from Volokhovka to Vasilevka has been taken. On the right flank Russian troops are attacking near Chornoye, so that the neck of the cauldron is now less than five kilometres wide. From Olkhovatka to Khatneye, Russian units are working over the positions of Ukrainian forces on the defensive line. In the area of Degtyarnoye and Okhrimovka, pressure is being applied on the Ukrainian grouping from the north, forcing the remnants of the groups to move toward the exit from the cauldron, where they come under artillery and drone fire.
Kupyansk direction
On the northern flank, Ukrainian units maintain activity on the Dvurechnaya–Zapadnoye line. Near Zapadnoye the Ukrainian side continues offensive actions, attempting to reach the Oskol and disrupt the integrity of the Russian bridgehead west of the river. The Oskol itself near Kupyansk has become noticeably shallower, which in places makes it possible to ford it.
Near Kondrashovka, Russian small assault groups continue to operate in the vicinity of Tishchenkovka. At the same time the overall situation on the sector remains dynamic, with the main activity still concentrated on the northern flank.
In the Kupyansk direction over the past two weeks fierce but relatively local fighting has continued. There has been no major movement of the front line here so far, yet Russian units continue to gradually expand their presence south of Kupyansk, primarily in the area of Kovsharovka and Kupyansk-Uzlovoy.
East of the Oskol, progress over recent weeks has been limited. The main struggle is now no longer so much for kilometers of open field as for urban development, the industrial zone and the Kovsharovka–Kupyansk-Uzlovoy link. Here Kovsharovka is of considerably greater importance than the size of the settlement itself would suggest. Further south lies Kupyansk-Uzlovoy — one of the key railway junctions of this area. Roads and railway infrastructure linking the Kupyansk direction with further routes to the south pass through this agglomeration.
Slavyansk direction
In the southern sector, Russian units have cleared part of the positions in the forest belts north of Yuryevka and intensified attacks along the Seversky Donets–Donbass canal toward Orekhovatka. At the same time assault groups are entering the forest tracts north of this settlement.
West of Orekhovatka the zone of operations of Russian groups is expanding, while other units have entered Zapovednoye and increased their presence northwest of the settlement. Thus pressure is gradually spreading across a wider section of the southern approaches to Slavyansk.
In the northeast, Russian forces eliminated the Ukrainian salient north of Rai-Aleksandrovka, taking a number of fortified positions. This made it possible to intensify the advance toward Nikolayevka. Russian units are advancing through the southern part of Nikolayevka and the surrounding forests; their presence has also been noted in the eastern multi-story development. At the same time fighting inside the city itself remains difficult: the transferred Ukrainian reserves have managed to stabilize the situation somewhat, and there has been no noticeable progress by Russian forces directly in the urban development in recent days.
Further north, Russian units cleared the salient west of Kaleniki, captured a number of fortifications and forest sections along the railway embankments, and consolidated in the forest belts west of the large forest tract. Other assault groups continued deep penetration from Piskunovka toward the northern and northeastern outskirts of Nikolayevka.
Conclusion
A common feature remains the preference not for a rapid entry into major cities but for the gradual expansion of control around them — through the capturing of forest tracts, heights, roads and neighbouring settlements. In the Sumy and Kharkiv directions this makes it possible to press the defences and create the threat of encirclement of individual groupings; in the Kupyansk direction — to increase presence in urban development and approach key transport hubs; and in the Slavyansk direction — to methodically tighten the ring around the agglomeration, depriving Ukrainian forces of the ability to maneuver. The high saturation of drones and the difficulty of crossing open spaces slow the advance but do not change the overall trend.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico stated that some Western politicians want to push NATO and Russia into a confrontation, provoking a conflict between them because of the failure of the strategy of supporting Ukraine. “We stand before mortal danger. The failure of the strategy to destroy Russia through the war in Ukraine is leading some politicians in the West to the conviction that if this cannot be achieved through the Ukrainian army and its full support, everything must be done to bring about a conflict between NATO and Russia. Someone here must have gone mad,” Fico said in a video address published on his official Facebook page.
He noted that it is impossible to defeat Russia in a conventional war. “Only with nuclear weapons, and anyone who knows Russia’s nuclear arsenal knows what that would actually mean,” Fico concluded. Thus, against the background of continuing combat operations in several directions, Western politicians are confronted with a growing awareness of the futility of further escalation, while Russian units continue to increase pressure on key sectors.
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