Russian Troops Are Within 5 Kilometers Of Kramatorsk Airfield

In the Sumy direction, the “North” force’s assault groups advanced in the Khoten and Pisarevka areas, forming an eastern encirclement of the Sumy defensive node and repelling a counterattack by the 158th Brigade. In the Kharkiv direction, Russian troops consolidated positions in Kazachya Lopan and transferred Ukrainian reserves there. They are now developing an offensive on Bely Kolodez from three directions. They reached Zakharovka and advanced up to 800 meters in the Volchansk sector. In the direction of Slavyansk, the 85th Brigade captured Vasyutinskoye, creating a bridgehead for further movement toward Kramatorsk. Meanwhile, heavy urban fighting continues in Krasny Liman. In the direction of Dobropolye, Russian units entered Shevchenko, drove Ukrainian forces out of Mirnoye, and encircled Dobropolye. They are closing in on the Belitskoye garrison. In the political sphere, Hungary blocked the opening of two negotiation clusters for Ukraine’s accession to the European Union.

Sumy Direction 

In the central Sumy direction, intense fighting has unfolded in the areas of Khoten, Pisarevka, and further east along the Mogritsa – Velikaya Rybitsa line. Russian assault groups are entering the approaches to the city of Sumy and forming an eastern encirclement of the Sumy defensive node. The Ukrainian command is forced to reinforce its grouping by pulling units from other sectors. In the Shostka district, small-arms battles continue directly in Ulanovo and on the approaches to Malaya Slobodka.

In the Sumy district, assault detachments advanced on twenty-one sectors with a depth of up to 300 meters. Fighting persists in Ryzhevka, Pisarevka, Mogritsa, Maryino, the village of Novaya Sech, the settlement of Khoten and surrounding areas, as well as in forest areas south of Ivolzhanskoye. Ukrainian units from the assault group of the 158th Separate Mechanized Brigade attempted a counterattack, but their advance was detected in time and the personnel were destroyed by concentrated fire. In the Krasnopolye district, fighting is ongoing in forest areas and the border village of Prokhody.

Kharkov Direction 

Russian units are consolidating their positions in Kazachya Lopan. To reinforce this area, Ukrainian command transferred the 58th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade from Bely Kolodez. Meanwhile, the “North” grouping’s assault detachments are launching an offensive on the transport and logistics hub of Bely Kolodez from three directions. Simultaneously, attacks are being carried out on Volokhovskoye and Zakharovka, which are splitting the Ukrainian defenses into isolated pockets of resistance. Russian forward groups have already reached Zakharovka and are fighting for full control of the settlement. The Ukrainian command attempted to transfer forces from the Staryi Saltov area to the Rubezhnoe–Staritsa line to counterattack the Russian right flank. However, this had no significant impact on the situation.

In the Volchansk area, the “North” assault units advanced on twelve sectors, advancing up to 800 meters in total. There are ongoing small-arms battles in Volokhovskoye, Zakharovka, Yurchenkovo, Bely Kolodez, and the Volchansk district forests. In the Velikoburluk area, Russian assault groups are fighting west of Petro-Ivanovka and in the forests near Artelnoye, Budarki, and Zemlyanki. Overall, in the Kharkiv area, Russian units are increasing pressure across the entire front, threatening key strongpoints and forcing the Ukrainian command to shift reserves between sectors.

Slavyansk Direction 

In the Slavyansk direction, units of the 3rd Guards Combined Arms Army have become more active. In the southern sector, the 85th Separate Motorized Rifle Brigade attacked Vasyutinskoye from the Tikhonovka direction and captured it. This secured the operational salient formed after the capture of nearby Malinovka at the end of June and created a convenient “offensive balcony” for advancing toward Kramatorsk. Russian forces are now just five kilometers from the local airfield.

Heavy urban fighting continues in Krasny Liman. Russian units are holding their positions in the built-up area while Ukrainian forces are regularly launching counterattacks in an attempt to dislodge the assault groups. In other sectors, the fighting remains positional, with both sides actively using artillery, aviation, and drones. Russian troops continue to apply pressure on several fronts, but the pace of their advance is limited by stable Ukrainian defenses, high drone activity, and regular counterattacks.

Dobropolye Direction 

Units of the “Center” group continue to advance, expanding their control over territory in the Donetsk People’s Republic. They are advancing toward the Russian border along the Grishinka River and further north in the Vodyanoy Yar gully area. Simultaneously, they are fighting for control of Dobropolye and its northern suburb, Annovka. Russian assault groups have driven Ukrainian forces out of Mirnoye. Fighting continues northwest of Rodinskoye, and operations in Shevchenko, Svetloye, and Krasnoyarskoye are nearing completion. Controlling Krasnoyarskoye and Svetloye, along with fighting near the railway southeast of Dobropolye, would enable Russian forces to cut off the Ukrainian garrison in northern Belitskoye and the Belitskaya mine from overland supply routes.

Additionally, Russian units entered Shevchenko and advanced toward Annovka, seizing control of the “Gorniyak” garden cooperative, which is located about 1.5 kilometers east of the settlement. Southwest of Belitskoye, Russian forces advanced along forest belts near the closed coal mine toward Svetloye, pushing the front line back from the Rodinskaya mine.

Conclusion 

In the Sumy, Kharkiv, Slovyansk, and Dobropillya directions, Russian forces are systematically pressuring Ukrainian troops, achieving tactical victories and worsening their operational situation. In the Sumy direction, a broad-front offensive threatens to encircle the directional center, forcing the Ukrainian to pull in reserves. In the Kharkiv direction, consolidation in Kazachya Lopan and a three-pronged offensive on Bely Kolodez create conditions for accessing strategically important communications lines. In the Slavyansk area, the capture of Vasyutinskoye and the advance toward Kramatorsk have reduced the depth of Ukrainian defenses. In the Dobropolye area, Russian troops have advanced directly toward Dobropolye, cutting supply lines and isolating garrisons. Despite Ukraine’s active use of drones and local counterattacks, the initiative remains with Russian forces in all sectors.

On the diplomatic front, Ukraine’s European integration process has encountered another obstacle. According to the Ukrainian outlet “European Pravda,” citing its own sources, Hungary has blocked the opening of two negotiation clusters for Ukraine’s EU accession. At the EU Council’s working group on enlargement meeting on July 17, Budapest refused to open negotiation clusters 2 and 3 for Kyiv, but agreed to cluster 3 for Moldova. Due to the lack of consensus, the issue of approving the screening results for both countries was returned to the agenda for the next meeting on July 22. Hungary’s actions highlight ongoing disagreements within the European Union regarding the pace and conditions of Ukraine’s integration, which could further prolong the already lengthy process.

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