Frontline report: Ukrainian elite special forces seize new ground near Kharkiv, stabilize defense

Today there are a lot of interesting updates from the Kharkiv direction, eastern Ukraine.  

In an effort to break the stalemate in this region, Russian forces attempted a new approach, launching coordinated assaults from multiple unexpected directions to break Ukrainian defenses. 

However, the operation quickly faltered, and seizing the moment, Ukrainian forces took control of the battlefield, launching a successful series of counterattacks that not only regained key positions but also shifted the momentum in their favor.

The main objective of Russian forces here is to capture Lyptsi. To achieve this, they opened a new assault vector from Zhuravlivka, complementing their initial push from Hlyboke. This new advance follows the E105 highway toward Velyki and Maly Prokhody, around ten kilometers from the border. Securing these settlements would enable the Russians to attack Lyptsi from the west. 

Meanwhile, northern forces are preparing to resume their assault, aiming to close within three kilometers of the village. This would pressure Lyptsi from both the north and west to overwhelm Ukrainian defenses. 

The Russian 155th Marine Brigade was tasked with opening a new assault vector at Zhuravlivka, deploying stormtroopers aboard BMP-twos in preparation for a mechanized offensive. 

However, Ukrainian drone operators quickly intercepted the Russian marines as they attempted to advance across the border. The drones effectively wiped out an entire assault platoon, destroying three BMP-twos along with the marines who tried in vain to escape the strikes. 

North of Lyptsi, Russian mechanized units, advancing with BMPs and turtle tanks under drone cover, became prime targets for Ukrainian drones. A Ukrainian FPV drone hit the lead tank in the column, halting its progress and forcing the rest of the convoy to retreat in an attempt to avoid further destruction. With Russian paratroopers neutralized, the remaining forces in the area consisted of regular troops. These positions were repeatedly struck by Ukrainian drones to prevent the buildup of stormtroopers for future assaults.

Following the failed Russian assaults, Ukrainian forces seized the opportunity to counterattack, targeting the disorganized Russian marines retreating from drone strikes in Zhuravlivka. 

Under the cover of night, Ukrainian troops crossed the border through nearby forests, avoiding Russian detection. Scattered to evade drones, the Russian marines were unable to mount a coordinated defense, allowing Ukrainian fighters to capture many of them. Belgorod Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov later confirmed that Ukrainian forces had launched a cross-border raid near Zhuravlivka.

In the Lyptsi area, Ukrainian forces ramped up drone strikes on Russian positions to the north. To maximize the effectiveness of these attacks, Ukrainian drone operators outfitted their drones with high-explosive bombs, napalm, and larger six-kilogram incendiary bombs. These intensified strikes successfully saturated and weakened the Russian defenses, preparing the ground for an imminent Ukrainian counterattack.

For the counterattack north of Lyptsi, Ukrainian Military Intelligence Special Forces, including the elite Kraken and Artan Regiments, were tasked with leading the assault. They first deployed reconnaissance drones to carefully survey Russian positions, followed by precise artillery strikes. This paved the way for Ukrainian Special Forces, who advanced rapidly in armored personnel carriers along the roads. 

After dismounting, they engaged in close-quarters combat, leveraging their superior training and combat experience against the already weakened Russian troops, suppressed by earlier drone and artillery strikes. By the end of the operation, the Ukrainians had captured a key patch of forest, helping to stabilize the defense in this sector. 

Overall, the Russians expected to achieve tactical surprise by suddenly launching the attack in a new direction, however, their assaults were timely spotted and engaged, undermining further development of the operation. 

Given that the Russian Northern Group of Forces in Kharkiv contributed most of their forces to Kursk direction, sustaining high losses during these assaults was a critical factor for the continuation of the operation. Such heavy losses turned the tables, enabling Ukrainians to retake initiative, successfully retake multiple positions and even cross a Russian border to conduct a raid campaign while Russians struggle to scramble for reserves to stabilise the situation.

In our regular frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.