Ukrainian President Zelenskyy visits the front line

The commander of the Russian "Western" group's strike unit, code-named "Lavrik," stated that Kupiansk will be completely controlled by Russian forces within the next week, which is essentially a response to Zelenskyy's recent statements. Previously, Zelenskyy claimed that Ukrainian forces would clear Russian troops from Kupiansk and reclaim the area, while the Russian commander's statement was a direct message to Zelenskyy: Kupiansk will soon be completely occupied by Russian forces, and he should not have any illusions.

The Russian Ministry of Defense pointed out that Zelenskyy's statements either are detached from reality and unaware of the actual situation or are attempts to cover up the truth after realizing the desperate situation. From the Ukrainian military perspective, they are indeed continuously organizing actions to repel the Russian advance in the Kupiansk direction.

Major General Drapati, responsible for the Ukrainian forces in Kharkiv and Sumy regions, mobilized the 92nd Assault Brigade, the 151st Mechanized Brigade, and the 1st National Guard Brigade, launching continuous attacks from Monachkovka to Blagodatovka and Osinovo along the northern front of Kupiansk. However, they did not make progress, and instead, within one day, five military trucks were destroyed by the "Western" group of the Russian forces, resulting in significant personnel losses.

In the direction of the Kupiansk city area, the Russian forces maintained a stable advance. In the past day, the Russians occupied 25 buildings in the city center. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense report, about 130 buildings in the Kupiansk city center are still in the hands of the Ukrainian forces. The Russian commander's statement that "Kupiansk will be completely controlled next week" is calculated based on the current rate of Russian advancement of about 25 buildings per day.

Kupiansk is divided into two parts by the Oskil River, with the western part of the river being the most critical. After the Russians occupied the western district, they have cut off the supply lines and retreat routes of the Ukrainian forces in the eastern part of the river. Currently, the focus of the Ukrainian counterattack is to try to build a pontoon bridge over the Oskil River to evacuate the forces on the eastern side to the western side. As for pushing the Russians out of Kupiansk and reclaiming the city, the Ukrainian forces currently do not have the capability to do so.

Russian Army on the Russia-Ukraine Front

Similarly, there is the city of Red Army, where the Russians have basically occupied it and are conducting clearance operations against the remaining Ukrainian forces inside. At the same time, the Russians have surrounded the satellite city of Kimitrov of Red Army from all sides. Under such circumstances, Zelenskyy claimed that only a few hundred Russian soldiers are in Red Army, and the Ukrainian forces can easily eliminate them. He said that there is no encirclement in Red Army, and everything is "safe." These statements clearly contradict the facts, causing shock among Western experts, and even Ukrainian female MP Bezuglaya publicly criticized Zelenskyy, saying he is deliberately lying.

Zelenskyy's refusal to acknowledge the worsening situation in Kupiansk and Red Army indicates the strategic importance of these two cities. Their common feature is that they are located at the intersection of several highways and railways, making their transportation extremely convenient. They are important transportation hubs between Kharkiv and Donetsk regions, and are vital battlegrounds during wartime.

After capturing Kupiansk, the Russians will gain a key logistics base in the Kharkiv direction, allowing them to attack Bolshoy Bulok to the north, Harkev to the west, Blov to the south, and Izyum to the southwest, achieving a highly flexible combat configuration.

Russian Army

After capturing Red Army, the Russians will control the strategic hub in the western part of Donetsk region. From there, they can attack the major city of Pavlograd in Dnipropetrovsk region via Highway 150, or break through the last line of defense of the Ukrainian forces to the north, entering Kharkiv region to attack Lozova, thereby surrounding Slavyansk and Kramatorsk from the flank.

Therefore, after capturing Kupiansk and Red Army, the Russians will gain a more obvious advantage on the battlefield. After losing these two key cities and suffering heavy casualties, the difficulty of the Ukrainian forces' subsequent defense will significantly increase, and the overall situation will further deteriorate.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7570177437955375659/

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