[Military Sub-Plane] Author: Golden Bomber
In late October, the fighting in Kupyansk on the Russian-Ukrainian battlefield suddenly became fierce. The Russian army launched a full-scale offensive from the beginning of the month in an attempt to control this strategic location. The overall scale of the battle was very large. On October 29, Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly declared that the Russian army had compressed most of the Ukrainian troops into the city center, forming a pocket encirclement. He also called on the local Ukrainian troops to surrender to save lives. Although Ukrainian officials and Western intelligence agencies completely deny being besieged, they also admit that the current war situation in the region is difficult. Admit that about 5,000 soldiers have been cut off from supply lines, and they have fallen into a situation of running out of ammunition and food, and there is no hope of breaking through.
Putin after listening to Glazimov's report called for the Ukrainian army to surrender
Located in eastern Kharkiv, Ukraine, Koupiansk is a key railway and logistics hub. The Russian army attacked because it could affect the supply of the entire eastern front of Ukraine. The Russian plan was largely to strategically siege Koupiansk and then continue to deepen the defensive line of the Ukrainian army through the Oskyr river, thus controlling the entire Lugansk province. The other main forces of the Russian army are still deploying in both directions of Pokrovsk and Servisk, further compressing the defensive space of Ukraine.
When the special military operation first broke out in 2022, the Russian army quickly advanced deeper into Kharkiv Oblast and occupied Kupyansk in March of that year, including the main center of the city and a large number of surrounding settlements. However, the Russian army continued to occupy it for only half a year. During the Ukrainian counterattack in late September of that year, the city was quickly lost, and the Russian army immediately retreated to the area on the east bank of the Oskil River. Since then, the Russian army has tried many times, but has never been able to capture the city again. It is not until the recent large-scale offensive that seems to see any improvement.
▲ Recent fighting in the direction of Kupyansk
After years of fighting, the Russian and Ukrainian military forces in the region have long been less than in the past. Russia, despite the heavy losses, is still responsible for the attack in this direction, including the main force of the 6th Army Group, under the control of the 68 Motorized Infantry Division and the 47th Tank Division. There are also guard tanks of the 1st Army and numerous other small-scale assault units and drones. The Ukrainian intelligence department analyzes that there are 18 Russian military-level combat groups in the region, well-equipped, and the fighting force is uncommon. The Ukrainian army on this side has gone through several rounds of battle, not only has the operating units been severely reduced, but the personnel have long since been replaced several times.
Ukraine, due to the need for secrecy, is currently announcing only three mechanized brigades in this direction, two assault combat brigades, one national defense brigade and one national guard brigade, the most sophisticated of which is of course the remains of the 82nd Air Assault Brigade. There are reports that 82 brigades have been arranged for gradual withdrawal in order to prevent siege.
▲TOS-2
The Russian army did not see much advance in its offensive in the first 20 days of October. It was not until October 21 to 29 that the Russian army finally gathered enough strength to launch multiple attacks, gradually clearing the defenses of residential areas, railway hubs and other places in southern Kupyansk, and slowly advancing into the city center. Due to the large number of high-rise buildings in the city center, the Ukrainian army relied on the terrain to comprehensively block the attack, resulting in the Russian army advancing only about 1 to 2 kilometers in 10 days. However, on the outer front, the Russian army exerted efforts on seven fronts at the same time, diverting the Ukrainian army's already few defensive resources.
The supply lines of some Ukrainian troops on the left bank of Kupyansk were cut off, the heavy equipment of some troops was shut down due to lack of oil, and the soldiers were out of ammunition and food, and even had to drink urine to maintain their lives. The 105th Regiment of the Russian front line reported that some Ukrainian soldiers had abandoned their positions without orders, which also gave the Russian army hope of comprehensive victory.
The Russian army used hot-pressure bombs to block the blockade.
Russian war reports showed that about 5000 Ukraine defenders organized and launched four breakouts, but all were repelled. In order to prevent the Ukraine army from breaking out of the encirclement, the two units of the Russian Sixth Army used the TOS-1A and TOS-2 heavy flame-breathing systems on a large scale to launch a large number of thermocompression bombs to cover the Ukrainian army's breakout route. Some battlefield videos showed that the bodies of the Ukrainian army killed were burned black.
In addition to the heat bomb, the Russian army also fully invested in the BM-21 and BM-27, and there is a video showing the Russian army called the Su-34, dropped a lot of OFAB-250 sliding bombs. Four crashes failed, so that the Wu army damaged more than 200 elite soldiers, lost 6 horseback cars, and the Russian army on this side was only a number of casualties. The shock wave of the heat bomb, instantly transformed all possible breakthroughs into a sea of fire, completely transformed into a human refinement.
Recent battles
According to the Russian Military Daily, the daily number of casualties in the Ukrainian army has risen to about 200 to 300 people a day, and the consumption of equipment is extremely rapid.Zelensky said that Ukrainian defence pressure in this direction is indeed great, but a new round of aid from the United States and Europe is estimated to arrive in mid-November. If 5000 Ukrainian troops are added in time, they can still resist a batch. But if the equipment is not in place, the risk of Russian breakthroughs is very high, and the situation on the battlefield will change significantly.