Russia is amassing troops near Ukraine’s Kharkiv region and potentially preparing for fresh offensives, according to Andriy Pomahajbus, Chief of Staff of Ukraine’s 13th “Khartia” Operational Brigade.
Speaking to Suspilne, Pomahajbus said Russia is attempting to move personnel closer to the front line and launch assault operations, though he said these efforts have been largely unsuccessful so far.
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“It’s crucial to monitor the most dangerous approaches to our front line,” he said. “The accumulation of personnel near the state border signals clear preparation for active enemy assaults.”
He added that Ukraine’s Defense Forces are ready to repel attacks.
Pomahajbus described Russia’s attack strategy as a mix of diversion and assault. While artillery and drones are used for destruction and reconnaissance, infantry units are then moved in, often attacking in a different direction.
He also highlighted the growing threat from fiber-optic drones, which can fly 15-30 kilometers (9-18 miles) and cannot be jammed by electronic warfare systems.
“The main buildup on their part is fiber-optic drones. It’s a serious problem. While they can’t be suppressed by EW, we still have ways to counter them,” he said.
A year ago, Russian troops launched a renewed offensive in the northern Kharkiv region, reaching the town of Vovchansk. Fighting in the area continues.
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According to Ukraine’s General Staff, Russian troops attempted three attacks over the past 24 hours near Vovchansk and Stroivka.
Ukraine’s Commander-in-Chief, Oleksandr Syrsky, said in early April that Russia had effectively launched a new offensive in the Sumy and Kharkiv regions.
He said Moscow’s broader goal is to push deeper into Ukraine to fully occupy the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in the east, as well as parts of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions in the south.
Additionally, he said Russia aims to create a buffer zone in border areas, including the Kharkiv, Sumy, and Chernihiv regions.
In early May, Ukrainian troops reported a successful operation near the settlement of Liptsy in the northern Kharkiv region. According to the National Guard, the maneuver drove Russian troops farther from the regional capital.
“By the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism in World War II, the 13th National Guard Brigade ‘Khartia’ liberated a forest north of Liptsy, which the Russians – modern heirs of Nazism – called ‘Berlin,’” the brigade said.
“Russian Nazis lost the battle for their ‘Berlin’ in the Kharkiv region,” the statement added.
The brigade said the joint operation, conducted with other units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces, began in November 2024 and lasted five and a half months. The total liberated area was over 2 million square meters – equivalent to 200 hectares or 494 acres.
“Thanks to coordinated efforts, we pushed the enemy farther from Kharkiv and regained control over an important natural and tactical area,” the brigade said.
The National Guard reported that Russian forces suffered nearly 1,500 casualties (killed and wounded) and lost more than 200 weapons and 175 pieces of equipment during the operation.
Joint forces of the “Khartia” brigade and the 92nd Separate Assault Brigade, named after 17th-century Zaporizhzhian Cossack military leader Kosh Otaman Ivan Sirko, carried out the initial breakthrough and secured a bridgehead.
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