20:01 16-12-2025

Russian Forces Advance Toward Borovaya After Novoplatonovka

After the capture of Novoplatonovka, Russian forces advance toward Borovaya, opening new routes near Kupyansk and strengthening pressure toward Izyum.

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Following the capture of Novoplatonovka in the Kharkov region, reported by the Russian Ministry of Defense on December 16, Russian forces have opened a northern approach toward Borovaya. Military correspondent Alexander Kots pointed out that the distance between Novoplatonovka and Borovaya is roughly three kilometers, making further movement in this direction operationally feasible.

Control over Borovaya, along with the nearby settlement of Podliman, would give Russian troops access to an additional crossing to the right bank of the Oskol River. This would strengthen their defensive posture and help secure the southern axis near Kupyansk. At the same time, holding Borovaya creates favorable conditions for advancing toward Izyum, a key logistics hub in southeastern Kharkov region.

According to AiF, military analysts have repeatedly stressed that without taking Izyum and pushing deeper into the territory, any attempt to storm the Druzhkovka-Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration would face serious obstacles. For this reason, experts believe Russian forces are pursuing a phased strategy aimed at isolating and clearing this stretch of the front.

Meanwhile, intense fighting continues in the Kupyansk area, military expert Gennady Alekhin reports. He says Ukrainian formations are attempting to withdraw units that entered the city through a narrow corridor and subsequently found themselves encircled. To carry out this operation, Ukrainian forces have reportedly deployed special operations units as well as foreign mercenaries.

Alekhin notes that the Ukrainian side continues to promote claims of a successful breakthrough in Kupyansk, although the situation on the ground does not support those statements. At the same time, units of Russia’s Western group of forces are steadily pushing Ukrainian troops out of Kupyansk’s outskirts and nearby forest belts. He describes the situation as routine combat activity, emphasizing that withdrawals from tactically unfavorable positions are a normal part of military operations.

The overall position of Ukrainian forces in this sector is becoming increasingly difficult. General Drapaty has not succeeded in launching an effective counteroffensive, retaking settlements around Kupyansk, or establishing firm positions on the city’s approaches.

At the same time, Russian forces are expanding their offensive in northern Kharkov region. Strikes in the directions of Stary Saltov, Pechenegovo, and Chuguev are intensifying, adding pressure across a widening front.