Russian troops in Ukraine's Kharkiv region use assault groups as decoys

Vitalii Sarantsev, a spokesman for the Kharkiv operational and tactical troop grouping, shared these details during a telethon.

He noted that Russian assault tactics vary depending on the terrain.

"We have both open terrain and urban areas, and the tactics differ slightly between these locations. For instance, in the Hlyboke-Lyptsi direction, Russian troops sometimes employ tactics that, in my view, are primitive and resource-intensive. They send in groups to engage in assaults, effectively using them as decoys," Sarantsev explained.

According to him, this approach allows Russia to monitor how Ukrainian forces apply firepower against these assault groups, gathering intelligence on Ukraine's fire systems.

He noted that the Russians may repeat these assault attempts several times during a battle.

"And we can say they’re trying to preserve their equipment and artillery, which they mainly operate from Russian territory. On our side, they set up positions for mortars and heavy armored vehicles, which they manage to sneak in under the cover of forest strips — especially near Starytsia, where they can conceal this weaponry," Sarantsev said.

He also mentioned that Russian troops use small assault groups within the city, where they enter from various directions, aiming to attack Ukrainian forces and reach strategic points.

"They form small assault units — around ten people — and attempt to push forward. Despite their efforts to refine techniques and develop new skills, it doesn’t work for them. We hold our positions firmly and effectively strike their personnel, weapons, and military equipment," the spokesman stated.

• Ukrainian forces have trapped Russian soldiers at an aggregate plant near Vovchansk in Kharkiv region for several months