Russia increasing troop numbers in Lyman-Kupyansk due to heavy losses – military

He shared these updates live on Espreso TV.

"The enemy (Russia - ed.) has recently ramped up the number of troops for assault operations, aiming to break through our positions. A month ago, they operated in smaller groups — pairs, trios, or small squads gathering for minor assaults. Now, they’re attacking in full platoons," Chernyak stated.

He added that while Russian tactics remain unchanged, they are relying far less on armored vehicles and focusing more on manpower. For Russian forces, losing one or two battalions to probe weak spots along the 10-kilometer front line is considered acceptable. They’re currently using this approach to break through the defenses of the Ukrainian Armed Forces at any cost.

"We used to be skeptical about reports of heavy Russian personnel losses. Now, we’re seeing it firsthand. Watching battles on monitors, we see fields littered with their bodies after each assault," he said.

• In the past 24 hours, December 23, 252 combat clashes were recorded across the Russian-Ukrainian front. In the Kupyansk direction, Ukrainian forces repelled assaults near Kindrashivka, Petropavlivka, Kolisnykivka, Nova Kruhlyakivka, Lozova, Dvorichna, and Bohuslavka.