Russia tries to cover up its failures in south by attacking Kupiansk – Ukrainian officer Hanushchyn 

He stated this on Espreso. 

“The Russians have been in the Lyman-Kupiansk direction for a while. They keep trying to move from north to south along the left bank of the Oskil River. They attempt to improve their position by going through the forests to reach Lyman. Their military leaders are figuring out ways to get out from the left bank of the Oskil River and close their positions by water to Siverskyi Donets. They haven't made much progress, but if they break through our defense line, they could cause problems for the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” Hanushchyn said.

He also mentioned that the Russians are trying to cover up their failures in the south by attacking Kupiansk. 

“They want to create an opportunity to move reserves from Bakhmut to the Kupiansk direction and at the same time, hide their setbacks in the southern region. Their plan is to say that while the Ukrainians are advancing in the south, they will advance from east to west,” Hanushchyn emphasized.

Russian army's offensive in the Kupiansk area

On July 16, Ukraine's Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar reported that the situation in the east had escalated - the Russian forces had been actively advancing in the Kupiansk direction in the Kharkiv region for two days in a row.

Maliar noted that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are on the defensive in this area, there are fierce battles, and the position of the parties is changing dynamically several times a day.

On July 17, Kharkiv Regional Council member Oleksandr Skoryk said that the Russian army continues to conduct counteroffensives in the Kupiansk sector. According to him, the Russian troops are counterattacking with very powerful forces, so it is difficult for Ukrainian defenders to hold the line. Unfortunately, they are making progress, and this is confirmed by the General Staff. 

Later, the Russian army's launch of an offensive in the Kupiansk sector was confirmed by the commander of the Ukrainian Army, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi. He noted that the enemy has set itself the goal of defeating Ukrainian troops in the Kupyansk area and continuing the offensive deep into our combat formations.

On Telegram, Maliar said that after the failure of the plan to seize Kyiv, the Kremlin ordered its military to reach the administrative borders of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and after the successful offensive of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on Bakhmut, they panicked. According to her, the Russians moved to the Kupyanskidirection to divert attention, as they have done many times before, but in vain.

In its morning report on July 18, the Ukrainian Armed Forces' General Staff noted that the Russian army was attacking in the Kupiansk, Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Marinka directions, with 36 combat engagements taking place there over the past day.

According to the General Staff, Ukrainian troops are holding steady in the Kupiansk sector. The enemy conducted unsuccessful offensives west of Lyman Pershyi in the Kharkiv region. 

On Tuesday, July 18, it became known that the Russian army had concentrated its main efforts in the Kupiansk direction and was continuing its offensive, while the Ukrainian Armed Forces were holding the line. The enemy is moving reserves to the Bakhmut direction to stop the advance of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.