Russia tries to build pontoon bridges for Kupiansk assault: Ukrainian forces disrupt their plans
Illustrative photo: Russia wants to bring in pontoon bridges to storm Kupiansk, but the Ukrainian Armed Forces disrupt these plans (Getty Images)
Russian forces are attempting to establish pontoon crossings for armored vehicles across the Oskil River to create conditions for encircling or storming the city of Kupiansk, but the Armed Forces of Ukraine are disrupting these plans, RBC-Ukraine reports, citing Spokesperson of the Kharkiv Operational-tactical group of Ukrainian forces, Pavlo Shamshyn.
According to Shamshyn, the situation in the Dvorichna area remains tense. The enemy continues to move infantry to the western bank of the Oskil River to expand their foothold and increase the threat to Kupiansk from the north.
"The goal of the Russians is obvious - to create conditions for the encirclement or assault of the city. But to carry out these plans, the enemy needs to establish reliable crossings over the Oskil, particularly pontoon bridges that would allow them to transport armored vehicles," the Ukrainian military added, noting that the enemy's attempts are being disrupted by dense fire from the Defense Forces.
As Shamshyn pointed out, the Russians regularly attempt to build such crossings, but they have not succeeded. Aerial reconnaissance by Ukraine's Defense Forces monitors the river and employs all necessary firepower when enemy engineering equipment is detected.
"At the moment, the enemy has no crossings that would allow them to move equipment to the western bank of the Oskil," the spokesperson emphasized.
Frontline situation
Over the past day, July 16, according to the Ukrainian General Staff, 160 combat clashes took place along the front. The heaviest pressure from the enemy was recorded in the Pokrovsk and Lyman directions. In the Kupiansk direction, Russian forces launched three attacks - in the areas of the settlements of Kindrashivka, Synkivka, and Zahryzove.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's Defense Intelligence released a video showing a soldier from their unit single-handedly repelling an assault by Russian forces in the Kupiansk direction.
