Ukraine's Khartiia Corps pushes forward in Kharkiv region — ISW
Photo: Ukrainian military broke through Russian defenses near Kupiansk (Getty Images)
Ukrainian infantrymen launched a surprise attack in the Kupiansk sector and captured a section of forest in a matter of minutes, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Forest clearing
The 2nd Corps of the National Guard, Khartiia, reported that on August 30, Ukrainian troops cleared approximately 2 square kilometers of forested terrain southwest of Zapadne. At the same time, units continue to advance west of Dvorichna. Both settlements are located north of Kupiansk.
The Corps reveals a geotagged video showing 15–20 Ukrainian servicemen running into the wooded area. This likely represents an infantry attack involving up to a platoon.
In the footage, the Ukrainian soldiers are moving freely across open terrain. This indicates that Ukrainian units had previously neutralized Russian strike drones in the area.
Earlier, Ukrainian troops had already captured 7,5 square kilometers of windbreaks southwest of Dvorichna and advanced north of Zapadne.
ISW analysts have previously noted that both Ukrainian and Russian forces had been attempting to resume tactical maneuvering on the front lines since 2025. The recent counterattacks in the Kupiansk direction and the suppression of Russian drone defenses are likely part of these very efforts.
On August 26, the Kursk military group refuted Russian claims of the alleged liberation of the village of Pysarivka in the Sumy region.
The settlement remains under the control of the Ukrainian Defense Forces, and fighting in the area continues.
On August 30, partisans from the ATESH movement disabled 2 relay cabinets on a railway line in the Russian Belgorod region, which the Russians had planned to use to transport ammunition and engineering equipment to the Kupiansk sector.
Due to the malfunction in the railway automation system, the Russians were unable to dispatch the train on time and were forced to urgently seek new supply routes.
