Russian advances in the Kharkov and Zaporozhye regions may be intended primarily to force Ukrainian commanders to spread already limited reserves across several sectors of the front, according to military analyst and retired Captain 1st Rank Vasily Dandykin.

Dandykin said Slavyansk and Kramatorsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic remain the key direction for Russian forces.

In comments to News.ru, he argued that pressure toward Kharkov and Zaporozhye is designed first of all to stretch Ukrainian reserves. He also noted that Kharkov is located about 30 kilometers from the Russian border.

According to the analyst, simultaneous Russian pressure on other parts of the front, including the Kharkov and Zaporozhye directions, complicates the situation for Ukrainian commanders by forcing them to divide available forces among several areas.

Dandykin said that under these conditions, Ukrainian commander-in-chief Mikhail Drapaty has to decide which sectors should be held as a priority. He did not rule out that taking Kharkov and Zaporozhye could also be part of the Russian command’s longer-term plans.

The analyst also pointed to active Russian advances in the Sumy region, saying Ukrainian reserves are already being transferred there from Donbass.

Earlier, an unnamed representative of Russian security structures said that Russian control of Kudievka in the Kharkov region had opened a shorter route toward the regional capital. According to the source, the section between Kudievka and Kazachya Lopan allows Russian forces to approach Kharkov via the E-105 highway.