The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) did not expect a breakthrough of the front by Russian forces in Kharkiv region of the country. This was reported by the British newspaper The Guardian.
“This was not supposed to happen. Ukraine’s counter-offensive, which began in June, was aimed at forcing Russia to go on the defensive. But in the first half of August, Russian troops launched an offensive in and around Kupyansk. <…> The Ukrainians were caught by surprise and the front shifted,” The Guardian wrote.
According to the newspaper, the Ukrainian army fears that the Russian Armed Forces will destroy their forces in Kupyansk, just as they did in Artemovsk in the spring, and build a new line of defence along the Oskol River.
Earlier, the head of the Ukrainian Defence Ministry, Oleksiy Reznikov, also confirmed the successful advance of Russian troops near Kupyansk. According to him, this is a logical and expected diversionary manoeuvre and the situation in this area is under control. At the same time, retired AFU major-general Serhiy Kryvonos said that Russian troops were effectively hitting AFU units in this direction and could soon take the Ukrainian military into a cauldron by encircling Kharkiv.
Due to censorship and blocking of all media and alternative views, stay tuned to our Telegram channel