Ukrainian Defense Forces are currently engaged in combat with Russian troops in the area between Hraniv and Kozacha Lopan. Reports indicate that the Russian military is employing infiltration tactics in their recent offensives.
According to a statement from the United Forces Operations (UOС), Russian forces have attempted storming actions towards Kozacha Lopan, having executed a tactical incursion along the state border of Ukraine near Hraniv.
Spokesperson for the UOС, Viktor Trehubov, confirmed that clashes are taking place between the villages of Hraniv and Kozacha Lopan. Sources indicated that small groups of Russian troops have been observed within Kozacha Lopan for at least a week.
“There are reports of infiltrators in Kozacha Lopan, but the exact number remains unclear. Our forces are actively deploying FPV drones in the area. The situation escalated following the loss of Vetermynka, which occurred a couple of months ago, leading to the dismissal of the previous brigade commander,” a source revealed to the media.
Officials from the Derhachi City Military Administration stated that for the past two to three months, Russian forces have had partial success within the hamlets surrounding Kozacha Lopan, specifically in Vetermynka, Hraniv, and Shevchenka.
The United Forces are anticipating that Russian troops may attempt to intensify their offensive or achieve a breakthrough in this region.
Context
- Kozacha Lopan was captured by the Russian army at the onset of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine but was reclaimed by Ukrainian Defense Forces in September 2022.
- According to DeepState maps, Vetermynka and Hraniv have become the fifth and sixth points of Russian infiltration in the Kharkiv region.
- In April, 22% of all Russian advances occurred in the Kharkiv region, as reported by DeepState.
- In May, the 2nd Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine, known as “Khartiia,” reported a successful operation in the vicinity of Vovchansk, supported by foreign legionnaires.
- While Moscow has frequently claimed the capture of Kupiansk, even Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged in an interview that Russian troops remain several kilometers from the city’s outskirts.
