Russian offensive on Lyman-Kupiansk line failed: Experts explain the reasons
Experts explain why the Russian offensive on the Lyman-Kupiansk line failed (Photo: Getty Images)
The advance of Russian occupiers along the Lyman-Kupiansk axis has essentially stalled, and the invaders' plans have failed. The Russians were likely unprepared for offensive actions, according to the article by RBC-Ukraine titled "Bakhmut getting closer. How the Ukrainian Armed Forces defeat Russians on land and at sea: Frontline overview."
Along the line from Lyman to Kupiansk, the enemy has advanced at most 1-2 kilometers, not everywhere. In a month, they haven't managed to capture a single settlement, and the fighting has taken on a positional character.
Chief spokesperson for the group East, Illya Yevlash, confirmed that the fighting on the Lyman-Kupiansk front has somewhat subsided. According to him, one of the reasons for this is that the enemy "taking it in the neck" in the area of "Specifically, near Novoiehorivka (in the Svatove district of Luhansk region)."
The frontline on the Lyman-Kupiansk axis is stable, with relative calm observed (photo deepstatemap.live)
Instead of the so-called "meat grinder" assaults, artillery is now being used, but with less intensity – the enemy has to conserve ammunition and refrain from fiery onslaughts.
Experts in conversation with RBC-Ukraine agree: the plans for a major offensive have failed. Russia couldn't divert Ukrainian reserves from the south, force our troops into strategic defense, or even break through to the eastern bank of the Oskil River.
"The failure is even acknowledged by Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, who stated that the army is in active defense. Moreover, the initiative is now on our side. It is our troops that force the enemy to maneuver as we want, not as the occupiers wish," said Oleksandr Musiienko, the Head of the Center of Military Law Researches.
In the experts' opinion, the Russian army was unprepared for offensive actions, so the campaign fizzled out without achieving any results.
"Why did all this happen? Because the troop groups Center and West pulled to the axis were not sufficiently equipped and had no capabilities for offensive operations across a wide front, especially when it came to breaking through the Ukrainian defense. They were not prepared, and therefore, they won't be able to accomplish anything," explained Oleksandr Kovalenko, a military-political expert from the Information Resistance group.
Preceding events
In recent months, Russian occupiers intensified their advance on the Kupiansk and Lyman directions. British intelligence suggests that against the Ukrainian Armed Forces' success in the south, Russian occupiers may boost their advancement in the Kupiansk-Lyman direction over the next two months.
Previously, the Ukrainian Defense Forces reported that the occupiers had concentrated in the Novoiehorivka area of the Luhansk region because they aimed to create a "corridor."
According to Ukrainian military sources, the occupiers also attempted to form a strike force but lacked the necessary equipment.
