Russian Forces Advance South of Kupiansk, securing Key Rail Infrastructure
MOSCOW – Russian forces have made gains south of Kupiansk, Ukraine, seizing control of several train stations along the railway line, according to a Russian commander on the ground.
The commander, identified as “Hunter” and stated to be in charge of the 1486th Motorised Rifle Regiment’s assault detachment, reported that his unit had taken control of an oil depot on the eastern outskirts of Kupiansk. He further stated his forces had secured a series of train stops en route to Kupiansk Vuzlovyi, a settlement approximately 6 km (4 miles) south of Kupiansk’s center.
Fighting was also reported at the railway station in Kupiansk-Sortuvalnyi, a nearby settlement, as Russian forces attempt to clear the area.These claims were released in a video statement issued by the Russian Defense ministry.
Reuters has not independently verified these battlefield reports.
The advances come as russia employs pincer movements in attempts to encircle both Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region and Pokrovsk in the Donetsk region. Despite these efforts, Ukraine reported on Monday that supplies had been delivered to Myrnohrad, located east of Pokrovsk.
unverified video footage circulating online,published by Russian war bloggers,purportedly shows Russian forces entering Pokrovsk. Reuters has been unable to confirm the location or date of the video. The footage depicts Russian soldiers and vehicles,some damaged,moving along a debris-strewn road.
Simultaneously occurring, Ukraine’s top military commander, Oleksandr Syrskyi, told the New York Post that Russia is concentrating approximately 150,000 troops in a push to capture Pokrovsk, utilizing both mechanised groups and marine brigades. Syrskyi also stated to the New York Post that Ukrainian forces are leveraging built-up urban areas to impede Russian advances and are actively engaging Russian sabotage units.
