Ukrainian forces prepare to counter Russian offensive on Kupyansk-Lyman line

Ukraine's Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said this during a telethon.

According to her, the command is analyzing the situation, calculating the actions of the Russian forces and thinking about how to mislead them.

As noted, Russia plans to rotate troops in the Kupyansk-Lyman direction and deploy air assault brigades there. Russia is building up reserves for an offensive in this part of the front. Part of the troops were redeployed from Belarus, where Russian units were being replenished and formed.

"One part of the Russian troops was undergoing recuperation - they will replace the conditionally exhausted ones. They are bringing in some troops from Russia - these are newly formed units. There was also a statement by Nayev (the commander of the Joint Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine - ed.) that the Russians were taking their troops from Belarus and accumulating them where they are preparing reserves for an offensive on the Kupyansk and Lyman directions," said the deputy head of the Defense Ministry. 

Maliar emphasized that Russian troops have recently stepped up their efforts to advance on the Kupyansk-Lyman line. The situation is tense in the Kupyansk and Bakhmut directions, but the initiative is on the side of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

• In the Bakhmut sector, Ukrainian defenders continue to conduct offensive operations south of the city of Bakhmut, consolidating their positions.

• On August 30, Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander of the AFU Land Forces, said that Russian forces are trying to break through the defense in the Kupyansk-Lyman area with assault units.

• On September 3, it was reported that Russian forces in the Lyman-Kupyansk direction were trying to break through the Ukrainian defense, especially in the area of Novoyehorivka, Luhansk region, as there are dominant heights near the village.