Ukraine Is Losing More Ground In Kharkiv (Videos)

File image.

On November 18, the Russian military captured another settlement close to Vovchansk and made additional gains in the city of Kupyansk in Kharkiv.

The Sever [North] Group of Forces imposed control of Tsegelnoye, located right to the southwest of Vovchansk, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.

The capture of the settlement is very important for Russian military operations in this part of Kharkiv. From there, the Sever Group of Forces could attack Vil’cha to the south. This would put immense pressure on remaining Ukrainian troops in the southeastern part of Vovchansk.

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Once Vochcnask is fully secured, which could happen before the end of the year, the Vostok Group of Forces will likely begin advancing east, to Vovchanski Khutory, and expand the buffer zone along the border from there all the way to Dehtyarne. Russian artillery is already hammering the defenses near Vochcnask.

The pressure on Kiev forces is even larger to the south in Kharkiv, specifically in Kupyansk, where the Zapad Group of Forces has been making gains on a daily basis.

In a statement published by the Russian MoD, a commander, who gave his call sign as “Lavrik” and identified himself as being in charge of the 121st Motor Rifle Division’s assault detachment, detailed recent progress in southwestern outskirts of Kupyansk.

“We conduct reconnaissance and inflict losses on the enemy in woods and treelines on the south-western outskirts of Kupyansk,” Lavrik said.

“Today, UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) teams detected a group of AFU (Armed Forces of Ukraine) militants hiding in a wood located along the Oskol River. Artillery and UAVs engaged the enemy. As a result of the strike, a group of up to 20 AFU militants was neutralized,” the commander continued.

“We began mopping up basements, sewers, and other household rooms in the Zapadnaya-Vtoraya neighborhood where the enemy left by the command may be hiding,” he added.

Separately in its daily briefing, the Russian MoD said that an attempt by Ukraine’s 125th Mechanized Brigade to relieve troops trapped near Blagodatovka, to the west of Kupyansk, was thwarted by the Zapad Group of Forces, which eliminated ten soldiers.

“Up to 50 troops, three pickup trucks, a UK-made L-119 howitzer, and five electronic warfare stations have been neutralized,” the ministry added, detailing the losses of Kiev forces in Kupyansk and nearby areas in the last 24 hours.

It’s worth noting that the drone units of the Zapad Group of Forces have been strangling Kiev forces in Kupyansk, making any attempt to reinforce or resupply very risky.

The recent Russian success in Kharkiv is the result of a broad military strategy that shifts attention from one direction to another in a calculated manner to distract and deplete Kiev forces. Ukraine, from its side, lacks such a strategy. It instead relies mainly on tactical decisions dictated by political and media necessities only.

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