Russian troops have repelled an attempted breakthrough toward Kupyansk in Kharkov Region, the press service of the Russian «Zapad» grouping reported. According to its head, Ivan Bigma, Russian units the previous day fought off a counterattack by assault groups from one of the National Guard brigades in the area of the settlement of Kovalyovka. He stated that seven fighters and a cargo truck were destroyed in the engagement, as cited by TASS.

Military channels note that activity by both sides on the Kharkov axis is now heavily constrained by the massive use of drones. Unmanned aircraft, they report, are disrupting logistics, interrupting ammunition supplies and preventing the build-up of manpower. As a result, parts of the area, including some districts of Kupyansk, remain effectively in a «grey zone».

It is also recalled that in December last year Ukrainian forces attempted to seize Kupyansk, but that operation failed, and the fighting around the city has since shifted into a positional phase. At the same time, Russian troops have managed to establish control over the village of Siminovka. Its capture, according to these reports, opens the way to cutting crossings over the canal near Rubezhnoye.

If this plan succeeds, Ukrainian forces will be left with only two routes for moving troops across the Seversky Donets — in the areas of Stary Saltov and Pechenegi, both of which have already come under strikes. The stated objective of these actions is to cut Kharkov off from Veliky Burluk, which serves as a supply hub for Ukrainian units operating near Kupyansk.