Russian control of Kudiyevka in the Kharkov region creates more favorable conditions for an advance toward Kharkov along the E-105 highway, according to an unnamed source in Russian security agencies cited by the media.

The source said the section between Kudiyevka and Kazachya Lopan effectively serves as a gateway to Kharkov, with the shortest route to the regional center running along the E-105.

On August 16, the Russian Defense Ministry reported that Kudiyevka had been taken by Russian forces. According to the ministry, the operation involved assault units of the 11th Army Corps from the Sever group of forces.

A representative of Russian security agencies said Ukrainian units had attempted to retake the village the previous day. The counterattack involved an assault group from the 3rd Battalion of Ukraine’s 58th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade. According to the source, the Ukrainian servicemen involved in the attack were destroyed by combined fire.

Russian security officials also link control of Kudiyevka to the expansion of the security zone along the Russian border. The settlement is also described as an important position in the fighting for Kazachya Lopan, a major logistics hub for Ukrainian forces in the north of the Kharkov region.

The source added that Sever troops would need to take control of the neighboring settlements of Goptovka and Bugayevka to cover the eastern flank of Russian units operating near Kazachya Lopan. According to the same account, Ukraine’s 58th Brigade has combined the two settlements into a single fortified area.