Cherevaty: Russians try to seize initiative in Kupyansk direction

Serhiy Cherevaty, the spokesman for the Eastern Group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, has stated that the Russians try to escalate the situation and seize the initiative in Kupyansk direction.

"The enemy tries to escalate the situation there, tries to seize the initiative, attacks our positions. Over the past day, in particular, the main offensive actions took place in the area of Ivanivka and Synkivka. The enemy tried to attack our positions eight times, struck 328 times with all types and calibers of artillery – from mortars to MLRS, carried out 10 air raids by combat helicopters and attack aircraft. While repelling enemy attacks, 69 occupiers were killed, 97 were wounded, two T-72 tanks, three armored vehicles were hit; a D-30 howitzer, a mortar, two ZALA enemy drones, and one command and observation post were destroyed," Cherevaty said during the United News telethon, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

When asked what the information about the involvement of reserves by the Russians in Kupyansk direction indicates, the spokesman said:

"This shows that they cannot make any significant progress there for a long time, at least at the level of tactical success. This shows that competent defense has been built there. In particular, recently the commander, Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi, was there, he gave additional instructions and reinforced this group with reserves. This shows that they want, first, to make our forces and means withdraw from Bakhmut direction and, second, to show at least some small intermediate result on the eve of the anniversary of the Kharkiv operation which humiliated them. But nothing will work."

The spokesman noted that the main task for the Russian occupiers remained the same.

"They sought to capture the entire Donetsk and Luhansk regions. And Kupyansk is a certain point that they absolutely did not expect to lose last year; the point from which we knocked them out, and the point of some humiliation, shall we say. They would like to at least bring it back as some kind of achievement and present it as some kind of military trophy. However, we know these intentions in advance, we know the leaders of their units, we know their plans, therefore, we have built our counteraction to all these intentions," Cherevaty said.