Russia is interested not so much in Kupyansk as in access to Lyman - military expert Snegirev

He expressed this opinion on Espreso TV.

"Heavy fighting is currently taking place in the Kupyansk direction, in the area of Lyman Pershyi - Synkivka. The enemy is trying to break through the positions of Ukrainian troops. The Russian occupiers are not so much interested in Kupyansk as in access to the Lyman, as it is an opportunity for them to flank the Ukrainian group in Donetsk region. There are tactical successes of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Svatove direction. In the area of Karmazynivka, the enemy, unfortunately, managed to force the Zherebets River and advanced, capturing up to 25 square kilometers, according to various estimates. The Ukrainian Armed Forces recaptured 18 square kilometers of previously lost territories," commented the military expert.

Snegirev noted that as of today, Ukrainian defenders have managed to stabilize the situation and regain control of Nadiya and Novoyehorivka.

"The situation in the Lyman direction is, frankly speaking, difficult. The occupants have tactical successes in the area of Serebryanske forestry, trying to put pressure from several sides: from the area of Dibrova and the so-called Torskyi ledge, as well as from the side of Bilohorivka. Bilohorivka is just over 12 kilometers away from the key cities of Luhansk region, Sievierodonetsk, Lysychansk and Rubizhne. That is, the Ukrainian Armed Forces can use Bilohorivka as a springboard for further offensive, so the occupiers need to cut this ledge," explained the co-chair of the Prava Sprava NGO.

Snegirev noted that elite units of the Russian Armed Forces are concentrated in the Kupyansk-Lyman direction.

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 other directions.

On June 11, the Ukrainian Armed Forces announced the liberation of Blahodatne, Neskuchne, and Makarivka settlements, near the border of Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.

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 June 26, Hanna Maliar reported that the Ukrainian Armed Forces have advanced 1 to 2 kilometers on the eastern frontline in the past week. During the offensive in the southern direction, the Ukrainian Armed Forces liberated 130 square kilometers. Also Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar also said that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had de-occupied the village of Rivnopil, Donetsk region. It is located in the Volnovakha district of the Donetsk region. The Russian army occupied the village in March 2022.US 

And British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said that as part of the summer counteroffensive, Ukraine has already liberated more territory than Russia captured during the entire winter offensive.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Sunday, July 23, that the Defense Forces have recaptured half of the territory that Russia has occupied since the beginning of the full-scale invasion.

On July 25, the Ukrainian Defense Forces drove the Russians out of their positions near Andriivka in the Bakhmut direction, and in the Staromayorske area, they succeeded and are consolidating their positions. The Ukrainian Armed Forces restrained the Russian offensive near Marinka and repelled enemy attacks in other areas.

On July 26, the General Staff reported that the Defense Forces continued to advance in three directions. Instead, the Russian occupiers are trying to regain the lost position near Robotyno in Zaporizhzhia region. Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Maliar said that the Defense Forces continue to successfully conduct offensive actions on the southern flank around Bakhmut. Fierce fighting continues in the area of Klishchiiivka, Kurdyumivka and Andriivka.

US officials said on July 26 that Ukraine told them that the army is now engaged in a major counteroffensive, moving more troops and equipment to the most western of the three fronts, near Zaporizhzhia. The Institute for the Study of War reported that on July 26, the Ukrainian Armed Forces launched a mechanized counteroffensive operation in Zaporizhzhia region and may have broken through enemy defensive positions near Orikhiv.

On July 27, the Ukrainian Armed Forces repelled several enemy attacks in the Kupyansk sector without losing ground, and in the Bakhmut sector our soldiers gradually moved forward. The fighting was quite fierce. The enemy was firing intensively. The General Staff reported that the Defense Forces were conducting an offensive at the Melitopol and Berdiansk directions.

On the same day, it became known that Ukrainian soldiers had liberated the village of Staromayorske in Donetsk region.

On July 31, it was reported that during the counteroffensive, the Ukrainian military liberated more than 204 square kilometers of territory in the south, and another 37 square kilometers in the Bakhmut direction.

On August 2, it was reported that the Russian occupiers are trying to restore their lost position in the Donetsk region, namely in the Bakhmut and Shakhtarsk directions.

The New York Times reported that the Russians are overstretched, experiencing problems with logistics, supplies, personnel, and weapons, and are beginning to show signs of retreat.

On the frontline, 44 combat engagements took place between the Ukrainian Defense Forces and Russian troops on August 2. The enemy was trying to regain lost ground in the Bakhmut and Shakhtarsk directions.