Commander: Russian forces preparing to 'take revenge' on eastern front
The situation on the eastern front remains difficult as Russian forces seek to gain the initiative and "take revenge" on Ukrainian troops, General Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Sept. 6, as reported by the Military Media Center.
"The enemy does not abandon plans to reach the (administrative) borders of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts, stubbornly prepares to take revenge and gain the operational initiative," the commander of the Ukrainian Ground Forces who heads the military operations in the east said.
Russia has occupied parts of Luhansk and Donetsk oblasts since 2014 and has pushed to try to capture the whole territory of the two regions during its full-scale invasion. Ukraine continues to hold western areas of Donetsk Oblast, as well as a small part of Luhansk Oblast.
According to Syrskyi, Russia is completing the training of assault units in the Kupiansk direction and shells Ukrainian positions in the area with artillery and mortars every day.
In the Lyman direction, Russian forces continue to replace troops with reinforcements from the newly formed 25th Combined Arms Army, the general noted.
Heavy battles reportedly continue also in the Bakhmut direction, where Ukrainian forces advance "step by step," liberating territory despite Russia's efforts to hold their positions.
Syrskyi stressed that the main tasks of Ukrainian forces in the east are to defend current positions in the Kupiansk and Lyman directions and continue advancing in the Bakhmut direction.
Russia has concentrated over 100,000 troops in the Kupiansk-Lyman direction of the front in Kharkiv Oblast and Luhansk Oblast. According to Eastern Force Grouping press officer Illia Yevlash, there are 45,000 soldiers attacking Kupiansk and 48,000 pushing toward Lyman.
In turn, Ukrainian forces are advancing in the Bakhmut direction and on the southern front line in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar reported on Sept. 4 that Ukraine advanced near Klishchiivka, some five kilometers from Bakhmut, and near Novoprokopivka south of Robotyne, Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
Igor Kossov
