Russia panics due to Ukraine’s offensive in Bakhmut and launches diversionary attack on Kupyansk – Ukraine’s Defense Ministry

Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Defense Hanna Maliar stated this on Telegram.

She emphasized that Russian troops have been advancing in the east of Ukraine since January.

“There are currently active fronts in four directions: Avdiivka, Marinka, Lyman, and Bakhmut, with occasional movement in Shakhtarsk, Kupyansk, and Svatove depending on the operational situation,” according to Maliar. 

The reason behind this is that after the failure to seize Kyiv, the Kremlin instructed its military to enter the administrative borders of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

“Whenever Ukrainian forces gain the operational initiative and begin advancing, the enemy immediately activates in other directions to divert and divide our forces,” she said. 

This is the current situation. The Russian invaders were “alarmed by the Ukrainian offensive towards Bakhmut.”

As a result, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have managed to secure most of the strategic heights, making gradual progress each day.

“The enemy has attempted to distract Ukrainian forces by moving towards the Kupyansk direction, but without success. Battles are ongoing,” she added.

Ukrainian forces “work around the clock, responding promptly to the situation.” Ukrainian soldiers demonstrate bravery and effectively neutralize the enemy.

• On July 17, Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi, the commander of the Ground Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, announced that the Russians initiated an offensive in the Kupyansk direction.

• The Deputy Minister of Defense, Hanna Maliar, reported on July 16 that the situation in the east has intensified, with the enemy actively advancing in the Kupyansk direction in the Kharkiv region for two consecutive days.