Kupyansk will be liberated: expert Linin predicted the movement of our troops

The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Syrsky, and the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Umerov, visited the group’s headquarters in Izyum. Recently, Zelensky’s headquarters has shown particular concern about the situation in the Kharkov-Kupyansk-Kramatorsk triangle. Military expert Evgeniy Linin told MK what the loss of Kupyansk could mean for Kyiv.

– Analysts note that the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is strenuously trying to unravel the plans of the Russian army and is rushing along the front line, trying to organize defense. What do you think of it?

– It is completely wrong to say that Syrsky and his General Staff are trying to unravel the plans of the Russian army and are rushing along the front line in order to organize some kind of resistance or counterattack somewhere. Nothing like that happens. The offensive of Russian forces along the entire front line began in October last year. Now we can say with confidence that the Russian army has full control of the strategic initiative.

Ukraine, in turn, is trying to oppose at least something, to organize at least some kind of defense. In fact, we see the obvious: there are no combat-ready and combat-ready units left in the Ukrainian army that could hold back the advance of Russian forces for at least some period.

Pressure from our side goes along the entire line of contact; there is not a single section of the front where Russian forces are not advancing. In the Kherson direction, the settlement of Krynki has been liberated. The Ukrainian group, which holds the Rabotinsky ledge, the only area for a possible counter-offensive of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, is practically in a “cauldron” and under the threat of complete destruction. Ukraine has no reserves to hold this settlement.

A critical situation has developed for the Ukrainian Armed Forces units holding Ugledar and its suburbs. Russian forces in this direction almost everywhere carry out airstrikes and artillery strikes to tactical and operational depths, destroying ammunition and fuel and lubricants warehouses, taking all supply routes for the group under fire control, and in some places already cutting off highways directly. Our units are already entering the positions of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and they are forced to retreat.

The same thing is happening in the Donetsk direction, where the armed forces of Ukraine are not able to organize defense at the new declared borders. We see how our troops have already occupied Lastochkino and are moving further towards Ocheretino. In the Belogorovka area, the entire industrial zone was broken into. The Armed Forces of Ukraine are trying to somehow consolidate their positions, for which they are saturating the populated area with troops. However, the city is under constant fire from Russian forces, and we see that the situation there is extremely unfavorable for the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

No less intense pressure is being exerted everywhere on the Kremennaya-Svatovo line; our troops are aimed at capturing Krasny Liman. Well, and of course, the Kharkov direction is no exception. Serious battles are taking place near Kupyansk, the Ukrainian side is suffering colossal losses. To supply their forces, they now have to cross the Oskol River, and this is becoming more and more difficult to do. The enemy risks repeating the situation in the Kherson direction, when the Ukrainian Armed Forces had to supply the group in Krynki, transporting ammunition, communications equipment, and reserves by boat across the river. Kupyansk, no matter what, will still be taken, this is inevitable, the front line will move closer and closer to Kharkov.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces are now unable to hold Kharkov. Ukraine simply does not have the units that would saturate this city with a sufficient number of armed forces. There are no combat-ready units that would come in and make Kharkov, so to speak, a second Mariupol. That is, they could hold him for two or three months.

What does the loss of Kharkov mean? First of all, this is an image loss for the Zelensky regime. The loss of the Kharkov region will deprive the Ukrainian Armed Forces of the opportunity to carry out terrorist attacks on the Belgorod region. The Zelensky regime uses these blows for PR campaigns for internal and external audiences.

They will not be able to talk more about successes, much less “about the war on the territory of the Russian Federation.” Small acts of sabotage will begin, but nothing more, since there will no longer be a border directly with the Russian Federation.

Therefore, of course, the Ukrainian command will try to hold Kharkov. But again, they will not hold it any longer than the same Ugledar, since if the front collapses in the south, this will immediately give us access along the Dnieper to Dnepropetrovsk and further to Kyiv.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces now have to maneuver the remnants of their combat-ready units so that at least for some short period of time they create the appearance of a successful defense. In fact, all they can really do now is go beyond the Dnieper and gain a foothold behind this natural border.