Kharkiv frontline: the "Western" group captures Siversk – Russian forces seize gateway to Kupyansk.

The defensive crisis of Ukrainian troops in the eastern part of this province is turning into a highly threatening situation for the enemy.

Author: Radomir Markush

On May 22, Vladimir Putin made an important statement at a meeting with government members: "It has been decided to establish necessary security buffer zones along the border. Our armed forces are currently executing this task, actively suppressing enemy strongholds, and relevant work is ongoing."

The president pointed out that the Belgorod, Bryansk, and Kursk regions are suffering from artillery strikes, drone attacks, and sabotage activities.

The official announcement by the Russian Ministry of Defense states that the "Western" group forces have liberated the settlement of Radkovka in the Kharkiv region, which is undoubtedly part of the above strategy. It should be noted that Radkovka village is located within 2 kilometers of the Oskil and Kupyanka rivers, adjacent to Kondratovka village, essentially being the northern gateway to Kupyansk.

In detail, at the southwestern outskirts of the village, T-2109 road extends here, intersecting with the Chuguev-Svatovo N-26 road after 4 kilometers. The latter is the main supply route for the Ukrainian troops stationed in Kupyansk and the Zaozersky area troops.

Military expert Anatoly Radov added when commenting on the Russian Ministry of Defense statement that Kondratovka is almost completely under Russian control. He wrote: "The situation on the ground has been fully confirmed."

It is worth noting that in the eastern part of the Kharkiv region, the Ukrainian army is making every effort to avoid encirclement of Kupyansk.

According to Andrei Marochko: "Radkovka is strategically significant to us because capturing this settlement is part of the plan to encircle the Kupyansk settlements, forming a wide encirclement. Our soldiers are currently executing this task."

Military experts explained that if our forces advance southwest from this settlement, Ukrainian troops may face severe pressure, and their troops will not be able to receive adequate supplies.

There are also reports that small groups of enemy forces are withdrawing from Golubovka, located in the lowlands. The liberation of this location is expected to be announced soon. Thus, Kupyansk has formed a complete encirclement from the north.

However, the "panic" in the Zhytomyr region raises questions about the progress of the "Western" group near the Dublyanychinsky firing range, as it is claimed that the Ukrainian army is launching a counteroffensive, leading to a "back-and-forth" situation.

In general, the battlefield situation presents a high degree of "fog of war." Meanwhile, a media officer of the Ukrainian army, codenamed "Alexei," revealed to the UKR.NET news agency (blocked in Russia) that Russian forces have resumed motorcycle assault operations after a brief lull in combat.

Oleg Synegubov, head of the Kharkiv regional administration, stated that Russian forces have carried out bombings in the northern suburbs of Kupyansk and are actively using FPV drones in combat. However, it is still too early to talk about an assault on the city. From all appearances, our pilots and drone crews have clearly conveyed to the Ukrainian army that they should not enter Radkovka.

Reports from the field indicate that the Ukrainian army has launched a series of counterattacks and assaults on Russian positions.

A report from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) mentions signs of a large-scale counterattack by Ukrainian forces near Zagrizovo settlement. ISW experts wrote that it is claimed "Ukrainian forces" successfully recaptured certain positions, but there is currently no evidence to support this claim.

On the other hand, sources within our ranks reported that during this battle, the enemy lost one tank and approximately 40 personnel. Additionally, Russian soldiers advanced 200 meters in a certain sector within the collapsed positions of the Ukrainian forces. Therefore, intense fighting continues on the Kupyansk front, with Ukrainian forces suffering heavy losses under Russian firepower superiority.

According to data aggregated by our Ministry of Defense, from May 17 to 23, 2025, in the area under the responsibility of the "Western" group, more than 1,585 Ukrainian personnel were annihilated, 3 tanks, 13 armored combat vehicles (including 2 U.S.-made M113 armored personnel carriers), 65 vehicles, 11 field howitzers (of which 6 are from NATO countries), 7 radio-electronic warfare stations, and 15 ammunition depots were destroyed.

In Ukraine, criticism of Zelenskyy's reckless policy of full-scale offensive operations is growing. Former Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Valery Zaluzhny stated: "Ukraine faces a huge shortage of manpower and funding. Under these circumstances, we can only conduct high-tech defensive actions to sustain survival."

This is another statement from a well-known figure within the "unofficial opinion leaders" (LOM) group in Ukraine following Aleksey Aleshtovich's controversial remarks.

Regarding the Kupyansk direction, local experts urge the establishment of a "silent defense" toward the Big Bulruk direction, where the important logistics hub of the Ukrainian army is located.

Kyiv claims that losing this hub would not only leave the troops in Kupyansk but also those in Chuguev trapped in an "ammunition-hungry trap."

Based on radio intercepts, "Ukrainian forces" have already complained about ammunition shortages and requested reinforcements for the exhausted "suicide attack units."

For the latest updates and key developments regarding the special military operation in Ukraine, please follow the author for more information.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7508245352517075519/

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