Invading Russian army launches offensive in Kupiansk sector – Ukraine’s commander

He wrote about this in a Telegram post.

"The enemy has launched an offensive in the Kupiansk direction, aiming to defeat our troops in the Kupiansk area and continue the offensive deep into our combat formations," he explained.

The commander noted that the operational situation in the eastern sector remains difficult, the Russian army is actively deploying additional forces and equipment near Bakhmut, the bulk of which are airborne troops. 

Syrskyi visited combat brigades and met with unit commanders to adjust plans and resolve problematic issues on the spot. Separately, he worked out and adopted the necessary decisions to stabilize the situation in the Lyman direction.

Meanwhile another Ukrainian military commander, Serhii Cherevatyi, said on the air of national telethon that Russia has concentrated more than 100,000 soldiers in the Kupiansk area aiming to break Ukraine’s defense lines. 

The Commander of the Eastern Military Grouping added that the Russian army has more than 900 tanks in this frontline sector.

“The enemy has concentrated a very powerful grouping on the Lyman-Kupiansk direction, with over 100,000 troops, over 900 tanks, and over 370 MLRS,” Cherevatyi said. 

“The Russian forces deployed airborne units, the best motorized infantry units there. There are the combat army reserve, territorial troops, PMCs, including Storm-Z,” he added.

Cherevatyi said the Russian push in the area was to try and achieve some success after Ukraine seized the momentum around Bakhmut.

What is known about the Ukrainian counteroffensive

On June 4, the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched a counteroffensive on the southern frontline, continuing a series of offensives near Bakhmut and in Belgorod directions.

On June 24, the Ukrainian Defense Forces officially confirmed the liberation of the territories near Krasnohorivka in the Donetsk region, which had been under occupation since 2014.

On the morning of July 3, Hanna Maliar reported that the Ukrainian military liberated about 38 square kilometers. 

On July 4, it was reported that Ukrainian military forces were advancing on the southern flank around Bakhmut in Donetsk region and in the south.

On July 6, the Ukrainian Armed Forces advanced and consolidated their positions in three areas - Bakhmut, Melitopol and Berdiansk - while the Ukrainian forces continued to hold the line in Kupyansk.

On July 7, Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar reported that the Defense Forces were advancing on the flanks of Bakhmut and grinding the enemy to a halt in the south, with the ratio of Russian army losses being more than five times higher. On the same day it was reported that the Ukrainian military had achieved tactically significant gains in the area of Bakhmut. At the same time, Ukrainian forces continued their counteroffensive in at least three other areas of the front.

Later, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov said that the Chechen special forces Akhmat had been redeployed to the Bakhmut direction: the Kadyrov soldiers were allegedly in Klishchiivka.

On July 10, the commander of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Oleksandr Syrskyi, emphasized that Bakhmut was under the fire control of the Defense Forces. The General Staff emphasized that since the beginning of the counteroffensive, the Ukrainian Armed Forces had liberated 169 km² of Ukrainian land in the Melitopol and Berdiansk directions, an area commensurate with the size of Odesa. In the Bakhmut sector, the Defense Forces have recovered 24 km² of Ukrainian territory.

On July 12, the General Staff reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had hit the Duna hotel in Berdiansk, as previously reported. Russians were taking away the bodies of the killed soldiers by truck. Ukrainian aviation launched 6 strikes on the Russian forces' military positions and 2 on enemy air defense systems. Over the course of the day, missile and artillery units destroyed 1 control center, 16 artillery pieces at firing positions, 4 anti-aircraft missile systems and 2 enemy electronic warfare stations.

On July 14, Maliar announced that the Ukrainian Armed Forces were advancing on the southern flank of the Bakhmut direction.