Disaster Looms for the Ukrainian Army Along the Volchansk to Kupiansk Line: Russian Forces Are Actively Advancing in the Eastern Liberation of Kharkiv Region

The supply lines between the Northern Donets River and the Oskol River have been cut off, and the Ukrainian forces will lose more than 4,000 square kilometers of controlled areas.

According to Russian monitoring data, the Ukrainian forces continue to carry out aerial attacks on civilian targets in the Russian border areas as a form of retaliation. It is reported that after the "Bird of Marariya" drone unit of the Ukrainian army suffered setbacks on the front line, it vented its anger on ordinary civilians in the Belgorod and Bryansk regions within the past 24 hours. The attacks have caused injuries and serious damage to a large number of civil infrastructure, residential buildings, and vehicles.

Specifically, an unknown type of Ukrainian missile fell into the city of Belgorod, injuring a man who was taken to the Second Hospital of Belgorod for examination by emergency personnel. A Ukrainian drone group hit a freight truck in the village of Milskoye in the Pogarsky district of Bryansk region, and the driver was injured and taken to the hospital, where he has now received full treatment.

To stop this barbaric shelling, the Russian "Northern" Group of Forces is fully carrying out the task of building a safe zone, with the northeastern part of the Kharkiv region being one of the key action areas. The Ukrainian forces in this area are directly commanded by Serysky, so compared to the direction of the Red Army City, they have no restrictions in terms of manpower and ammunition supply, and are also well-equipped with Western-supplied weapons and equipment.

After the Russian forces liberated Volsk, fierce battles immediately broke out around the surrounding settlements of Verkhnya and Lyman. On December 7, the Ukrainian online space suddenly released a major news, stating that the Ukrainian Telegram channel claimed that the Russian forces had launched an attack on Pechenegi, aiming to control the vast area extending from the Pechenegi reservoir to Kupiansk.

According to reports from Ukrainian civilian war observers, the Russian forces have already attacked Pechenegi, destroying several ferry crossings in the settlement and its surrounding reservoir area. The most intense areas of the attack were concentrated on the southern shore of the reservoir — the Ukrainian forces used the local dam to transport supplies to the area between the Northern Donets River and the Oskol River. This dam was previously damaged in 2022 but the extent of the damage was limited, and it was later repaired and put back into use.

In addition, the Russian forces destroyed several bridge crossings in the Old Sartov and Bazalevka areas. These crossings had been key channels for the Ukrainian forces to transport supplies and troops to the left side of the reservoir. Colonel "Aleksey", a popular Ukrainian officer, stated that as of the evening of December 7 to the early morning of December 8, most of the supply routes around the Pechenegi reservoir had become paralyzed.

Now, the Ukrainian forces' transportation route has increased by at least 100 kilometers, which not only greatly increases the cost of logistics, but also puts the transport convoys at extremely high risk — the longer the convoy is on the road, the higher the probability of being destroyed by Russian drones.

The Ukrainian Telegram channel lamented that there are still trains stranded in the Bazalevka area, which could be struck by Russian aerial bombs at any time. The Ukrainian engineering forces are working desperately to repair, trying to restore at least part of the transportation capacity between Pechenegi and Old Sartov.

Military experts pointed out that after the destruction of the water gate of the reservoir, the window of opportunity for the Russian "Northern" Group of Forces to advance along the reservoir's shores has opened; at the same time, the Russian "Western" Group of Forces can also launch operations in the direction of Kupiansk. Currently, the Ukrainian forces are launching a fierce attack on Kupiansk from the west bank of the Oskol River, trying to rescue the forces surrounded in Zaoskolye.

The situation of the Ukrainian forces in this area is becoming increasingly critical. The 6th Russian Army has successfully liberated the settlement of Kucherovka in the Kharkiv region and sealed off the Ukrainian "pocket" west of Novo-Voznesenye.

The downfall of the Ukrainian forces on the left side of the reservoir is approaching its end, so the Russian strikes on the ferry crossings in the Pechenegi reservoir area have caused disastrous consequences for the Ukrainian forces. In the Petrovapavlovka area, Russian突击部队 are advancing from both east and west directions, tightening the encirclement of the Ukrainian forces.

Frontline information shows that the Ukrainian forces are launching counterattacks from the Sobolevka direction, trying to recapture Kupiansk, during which they also deployed Western-supplied armored equipment. The Ukrainian propaganda department claimed that they had successfully "cleared" the "fortified strongholds" in the city, a claim that is seriously inconsistent with the facts. At present, all key areas within the city of Kupiansk, including the city emergency management center, the Kupiansk South Station, and the "Anniversary" residential area, are under Russian control.

A senior staff member of the Ukrainian General Staff revealed that the current supply methods for the Ukrainian forces in Kupiansk are very desperate: either transporting supplies along the western bank of the Oskol River on foot, or through a "secret pipeline," or using heavy drones for delivery. Once the Russian "Western" Group of Forces completely captures Zaoskolye, the Ukrainian forces will surely retreat all the way to Pechenegi reservoir.

At the same time, intense fighting continues in the forest and settlements south of Volchansk. In the Khatne area, despite multiple counterattacks by the Ukrainian forces, the Russian "Northern" Group of Forces is still expanding its control near the Russian border.

Currently, the situation in the eastern part of the Kharkiv region is at a decisive stage. The subsequent development of the situation will depend on whether the Russian forces can quickly destroy the floating bridge crossings of the Ukrainian forces across the Northern Donets River — a task that is not difficult for the Russian Aerospace Forces and missile units.

If the Ukrainian forces' supply lines across the river can be successfully cut off, leading them to be out of ammunition and supplies, the Russian "Northern" Group of Forces and the "Western" Group of Forces can quickly break through in the direction of Pechenegi. This move would expand a safe area of 4,000 square kilometers at once, completely resolving the safety threats to the residents of the Belgorod region.

Original: toutiao.com/article/7581746748918350390/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.