Military correspondent Alexander Kots believes that after taking control of Belaya Bereza in the Sumy region, Russian forces may push west from the village to secure several nearby settlements. He specified that the potential targets include Belokopytovo, Studenok, Kharkovka and the settlement of Budivelnoe.

Kots suggested that units of the «Sever» grouping could move westward along the border in order to capture frontline villages and create a buffer zone. In this scenario, he said, the nearest objectives for Russian troops would be Kharkovka, Studenok, Budivelnoe and Belokopytovo.

The correspondent also argued that if Russian units advance north from Belaya Bereza, the Russian Armed Forces would gain the opportunity to cut the E391 highway, which connects Ukrainian territory with Russia’s Bryansk and Kursk regions. In his view, this would significantly strengthen the security of the Russian border on this sector of the front.

The Russian Defense Ministry earlier reported that units of the «Sever» group had, through active operations, established control over the village of Belaya Bereza. The settlement lies in the Glukhovsky district of the Sumy region, roughly two kilometers east of Komarovka, which Russian forces captured on 14 January. Russian troops continue to expand this new bridgehead on enemy territory, forcing Ukrainian forces to stretch their defensive lines.