Ahead Of The Storm: Major Russian Redeployment From Pokrovsk Points To Forthcoming Offensive

The movement of military equipment in Italy has increased in intensity. Decommissioned VCC-1 ‘Camillino’ armored personnel carriers have been loaded onto trains and sent eastwards, ready for onward transfer to Ukraine.

In Slavyansk, a strike was carried out on a factory that manufactures high-voltage insulators for use in the repair and installation of power lines. The Russians are seeking to prevent Kyiv from repairing damaged power stations.

It is reported that, as a result of Russian strikes, Ukraine has lost approximately 60% of its natural gas production capacity.

The firepower of the drones used by the Russian army is increasing. Geran-2 drones are now equipped with high-explosive fragmentation warheads capable of air detonation.

The situation in the Sumy region has escalated. The Ukrainian army is trying to push Russian troops out of Ukrainian territory along the Konstantinovka-Sadki line. The fiercest fighting has been reported in the area between Kondratovka and Yunakovka.

In the village of Boguslavka, south of Kupyansk, a Ukrainian army drone control center was destroyed by a high-precision missile strike.

Amidst the gradual disruption of logistics in Kupyansk and access to crossings over the Oskol River, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are attempting to halt the Russian army’s advance towards Kruglyakovka, with the aim of resupplying of Kupyansk-Uzlovoy.

The Russian army launched a simultaneous assault on three settlements: Predtechino, Ivanopolye and Pleshcheyevka, which are located to the south of Konstantinovka.

On the southern flank of the Pokrovsk front, Russian units finished clearing Udachnoye. Meanwhile, north of the city, Ukrainian forces were driven out of their positions to the southeast of Zolotoy Kolodez village.

The 35th, 55th, 74th and 137th motorized rifle brigades of the Centre military group have been moved closer to Novopavlivka. The Ukrainians are unable to defend the city any longer, prompting the Russians to shift their attention to the Dnipropetrovsk region.

The most active areas of the front over the past day have been the Sumy region, Konstantinovka and the area south of Pokrovsk.

Kyiv is continuing its attempts to push the Russians back into their own territory and prevent them from threatening Sumy. Attacks in this area are tying down the Russian army and forcing it to transfer additional reserves.

The transfer of four Russian brigades south from Pokrovsk before its capture indicates the Ukrainian garrison’s difficult situation. It is only a matter of time before the city is captured, so the Russians are acting pre-emptively and will now put pressure on the Dnipropetrovsk region.