Russian troops attempt to use weather to approach Kupiansk: Ukrainian defence forces repel 2 assaults
Russian troops launched assault operations on the outskirts of the city of Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast on 6 April, using infantry, quad bikes and armoured vehicles, but suffered a defeat.
Source: Yurii Fedorenko, Commander of the 429th Achilles Separate Unmanned Aerial Systems Regiment, in a comment to Ukrainska Pravda
Details: Russian troops attempted to take advantage of the worsening weather conditions, expecting that the effectiveness of Ukrainian drones would be reduced in mist. In the morning, the Russian infantry tried to break through the defence forces' positions in two areas near Kupiansk. However, the bet on rain did not work – both assaults were repelled. The situation repeated in the afternoon – once again, a tank and an infantry fighting vehicle attempted to pull Russian troops into Ukrainian positions. The Russians managed to reach the front line and dismount infantry, but personnel and equipment were destroyed by the 429th Achilles Separate Unmanned Aerial Systems Regiment, the 1st Burevii Presidential Operational Brigade and the 43rd Separate Mechanised Brigade.
Quote from Anton Shmahailo, Commander of the First Battalion of the 429th Achilles Separate Unmanned Aerial Systems Regiment: "The enemy is actively using weather conditions. Along with the mechanised assault, they carry out attacks with quad bikes in another area – likely to distract attention from the main blow. But due to being in a rush, the enemy's actions are rather disorganised. It can be stated that the level of coordination among the Russians has decreased. Possibly, this is because their command is constantly pushing them, driving them to their deaths. Their main goal in this case is to advance towards Kupiansk. But the enemy is still far from the city. We keep working."
Details: The Russians have been intensifying efforts on the Kupiansk front for several months. The battle for the left bank of the Kupiansk district began in September 2024 and is still ongoing. The key settlements of the defence forces' bridgehead along the left bank of the Oskil River are Kupiansk, Kupiansk-Vuzlovyi and Borova.
In October 2024, the Russians managed to split the defence forces' bridgehead in two near the settlements of Kruhliakivka, Kolisnykivka and Zahryzove through large-scale attacks, with heavy losses in equipment and personnel.
Anton Shmahailo earlier suggested that the Russians had been ordered to achieve specific goals by a certain date – likely to capture Kupiansk-Vuzlovyi by the New Year. However, Russian troops have so far failed to achieve any major objectives in this area.
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