Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov held a meeting at the Zapad Group of Forces command post, where he listened to reports from the command on the current situation, the actions of troops along the line of contact in their respective zones of responsibility, and the nature of Ukrainian actions.
In his end-of-year speech, Andrei Belousov said he would support the military at the front with new technology and would go wherever the situation required to try to improve the conditions of the troops.
And while the Chief of the General Staff went to see what was happening on the Southern and Western fronts, Belousov chose the most sensitive area, Kupyansk, where a rotation error lost the tactical advantage. According to social media reports, the situation at the front is now one of a pie-in-the-sky conflict between the Ukrainians and the Russians. A quagmire from which it is difficult to escape, despite so many Russian and Ukrainian claims of victory.
General Sergei Kuzovlev, commander of the Zapad group, reported to the Defense Minister that troops continue to conduct active offensive operations in all four directions, with a total front line of over 320 kilometers.
“In December, the group’s forces liberated six settlements—Kucherivka, Podoly, Kurylivka, Novoplatonivka, Bohuslavka, and Dibrova—and over 155 square kilometers of territory. Combat operations are currently underway to liberate another 10 settlements,” General Kuzovlev reported.
After hearing from the group’s commander, the Russian Defense Minister requested clarification on the situation in the Kupyansk area. “Overall, I understand that Kupyansk is currently being combed out,” Andrei Belousov asked the commander.
General Kuzovlev reported that the districts are controlled by Russian troops. The Ukrainians have not abandoned their plans, but their offensive operation in November and December was unsuccessful.
From the front, they report on social media that “the roads near Kupyansk are clogged with burned military equipment. Russian drones are preventing the safe passage of any enemy vehicles.” But the situation is difficult.
On January 16, the Russian Aerospace Forces destroyed a crossing over the Oskil River, which Ukrainian forces were using to advance on Kupyansk. The crossing near the village of Osynovo in the Kharkiv region has been actively used by the Ukrainian Armed Forces to transport equipment, troops, and military cargo. The air strike on the target was carried out using several FAB-500 aerial bombs with a universal planning and correction module.
The situation in the direction of Kupyansk remains complex, with the Ukrainians bringing new units into the city. Clashes continue on the bridgehead, and the number of destroyed Ukrainian equipment is increasing at the systematically targeted crossings.
Video footage continues to appear online showing Ukrainian formations in positions north of the city, as well as in the Kupyansk and Kupyansk-Vuzlovy areas.
The Russian Armed Forces’ sporadic defense is maintained primarily on the northern and northeastern outskirts of the city. In the central part, the concentration of Ukrainian forces is gradually increasing, judging by the appearance of communications antennas.
Russian 203 mm artillery continues to pound the Podoly River, which was “liberated on paper” on January 4th. The video published on January 14th was actually filmed about a week ago, according to OSINT.
Interesting footage has emerged from the vicinity of Stepove Novoselivka, where Russian NRTK operators destroyed the position of a Ukrainian formation located 4.5 kilometers east of Pishchane. Another UAV control point was eliminated half a kilometer to the south.
The fighting continues to be extremely intense and fierce. The Ukrainians have not yet exhausted their reserves and continue to deploy troops both into the city and on the left bank in general.
According to Russian social media sources: “There are also positive aspects: evidence of the UAV operators’ successful work is becoming increasingly frequent. While the group is in no hurry to abandon exaggerated reports, this brings with it problems and will clearly continue to do so.”
At the end of the meeting, a “skeptic” Andrei Belousov awarded state honors to the members of the group who distinguished themselves by their courage and their heroism in carrying out their military service in the special operations zone.
Graziella Giangiulio
Follow our updates on Geopolitical Gleanings - Spigolature geopolitiche: https://t.me/agc_NW and on our blog The Gleanings of AGCNEWS - Le Spigolature di AGCNEWS: https://spigolatureagcnews.blogspot.com/
