KIEV THREATENED BY POSSIBLE RUSSIAN ASSAULT IN SUMY REGION

The ongoing Russian offensive in Kharkiv brings new results every day, while Kiev is threatened by a possible Russian offensive in another region. After Russian troops crossed the border several days ago, they continue their successful assault towards Kharkiv, advancing in several directions. Both Russian and Ukrainian military observers reported that the Russian army took control of the village of Lukyantsi. Russian assault groups are approaching the town of Liptsy the control of which will pave them the way for a further advance to the west on a wide front. The retreating Armed Forces of Ukraine attempt to urgently build a defense in the town to slow down the pace of the Russian offensive. At the same time, Russian forces are advancing in the semi-encircled town of Volchansk, which is one of the main Ukrainian strongholds on the first line of their defense in the region. Battles have already reached the local aggregate plant. The Ukrainian military is fiercely fighting to hold its defense at the industrial facilities. The Volchansk oil extraction plant, located on the western bank of the Volchya River, was turned into a Ukrainian stronghold in the town. Amid the ongoing advance in these two main directions in the Kharkiv region, Russian forces are rapidly expanding their zone of control in the field areas. They have taken control of several dozen square kilometers in the area of Neskuchnoe, straightening the front in the Ukrainian border areas. Officials in Kiev are trying to calm down their audience, claiming that the military command is transferring prepared reinforcements to the area of the Russian break through; but according to Ukrainian monitoring sources, the reserve units were taken from other frontlines, which weakens the Ukrainian defense along the entire front. Not all units agree with Kiev’s decision. According to some reports, the notorious 3rd Azov assault brigade refused to fulfill the order of the Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Sirsky. Earlier, this unit had refused to fight to the death for Avdeevka. New Russian victories in Kharkiv provoked discontent among the Ukrainian military. The head of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Defense Ministry of Ukraine publicly blamed the Commander-in-Chief for another defeat. Meanwhile, Ukrainian servicemen are looking for the billion dollar heavily fortified line of defense along the border that Zelensky bragged about months ago. At the same time, the threatened Ukrainian authorities began the evacuation of the civilian population from the town of Belopolye and the villages located nearby the Russian border in the Sumy region. From this area the Ukrainian military is heavily shelling the Russian border villages in the Kursk region. Kiev’s actions confirm that the Ukrainian military command is threatened by the possibility of another Russian offensive in the Sumy region, while the main Russian forces prepared for a breakthrough on the northern frontlines are yet to enter the battles.