Russian forces are continuously advancing towards Kupiansk, trying to regain this key logistics hub. At the same time, the BBC has found through an investigation that the officer in charge of the Russian offensive against Kupiansk is actually a Ukrainian, and even a former Ukrainian officer!

Russian forces launch a fierce attack on Kupiansk, with Ukrainian forces in urgent need

According to the BBC, at the front line, the most popular place now is Red Army City, followed by Kupiansk. Russian forces are currently attempting to storm Kupiansk, and to break through quickly, they have adopted the tactics used in Sujha and Avdiyevka, moving through underground natural gas pipelines under the Oskil River into Kupiansk city, then launching a surprise attack from the rear on Ukrainian forces.

The current commander of the Kupiansk offensive, as well as the officer responsible for leading Russian forces through the natural gas pipeline into the city, is a former Ukrainian officer named Strozyenko. He is now a Russian major general. A Ukrainian military analyst said: According to his observation, the force attacking Kupiansk is the 6th Army under the "Northern Group," which also belongs to the Leningrad Military District. The commander of this unit is Major General Strozyenko.

According to the BBC, Strozyenko is a Ukrainian, born in 1975 in the Kharkiv region. In 1992, Strozyenko entered the Institute of Intelligence at the Kiev Army Research Institute, and in 2016, he mentioned this experience when interviewed by Novaya Gazeta as a Russian colonel: At that time, the Soviet Union no longer existed, and from that moment on, he was a Ukrainian soldier.

After graduating from the Institute of Intelligence at the Kiev Army Research Institute, he began serving in the 36th Coastal Defense Brigade of the Ukrainian Navy, officially starting his military career. Later, he rose through the ranks, and he also served as deputy commander of the Ukrainian peacekeeping contingent in Kosovo.

No one could have imagined that the officer commanding the Russian forces is actually a Ukrainian

In 2014, during the Crimean crisis, Strozyenko was exactly in Crimea and commanded 1,200 soldiers. At that time, acting President of Ukraine Turchynov contacted Strozyenko, asking him to take action to hold onto Crimea. Strozyenko claimed that he had already submitted his resignation, but at the same time, he continued to persuade the local Ukrainian forces to hand over their weapons.

Vladislav Selensky, a former spokesperson for the Ukrainian General Staff, recalled: He once served with Strozyenko in Kosovo. He was a good officer who cared about his reputation, but he did not pass a critical test in the army. In 2014, the Russians may have offered him a deal he couldn't refuse, and he eventually defected, obtained a Russian passport, and became a Russian officer. The 36th brigade he belonged to had more than half of its soldiers leave Crimea and return to Ukraine, while the remaining soldiers joined the Russian forces along with him.

When the Russia-Ukraine conflict began in 2022, he had already reached the rank of major general and was serving as Chief of Staff of the 35th Army in the Eastern Military District. Perhaps because he was originally from Kharkiv and was familiar with everything there, he led the 35th Army in operations in the area and even ordered missile attacks on Sumy. In June 2022, this army was defeated by Ukrainian forces near Izyum, but Strozyenko's military career was not affected. In 2023, Putin issued an order promoting him to major general and placing him in command of the 6th Army. Now, he is leading this army to attack Kupiansk. The BBC also stated that Strozyenko has achieved the highest military rank among Ukrainians in the Russian army.

Serdyukov is actually a Russian

This time, facing Strozyenko, the Ukrainians may be even more angry. In fact, Ukraine and Russia are one family, and similar cases are very common in both armies. The most obvious example is Serdyukov, who was actually born in Russia and is a Russian. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, he moved to Ukraine and joined the Ukrainian army. Later, no one could have expected that a Russian would lead the Ukrainian army to defeat the Russian forces in Kyiv and Kharkiv!



Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7551990761844212233/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author. Welcome to express your opinion using the [up/down] buttons below.