Distract from important areas: the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation exaggerate their offensive on Kupyansk - ISW (map)
About it reports "Institute of War Research" in the summary of August 20. The General Staff of the Armed Forces reported in vain the offensive operations of the invaders in the area of n. Mr Sinkivka, which is 9 km from Kupyansk. Russian sources reported an offensive in the area of Vilshan (14 km from Kupyansk) and the capture of unidentified positions of the Armed Forces.
The Russian troops claimed that parts of the Russian 1st Guards Tank Army (Western Military District) continued the offensive in the Sinkivka area. But they noted that it was premature to speak about the environment or capture of the settlement. It was also reported that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation had seized five settlements in Kharkiv region last week, but did not observe visual confirmations in ISW.
Russian sources claim that Russian troops have steadily moving northeast of Kupyansk for the last few weeks, but again, without appropriate visual confirmations. Sources from the Russian Federation earlier stated the large -scale offensive of Russians southwest of Svatov, which was also not confirmed by visual evidence.
Analysts suggest that Russian sources can exaggerate the wide offensive of the Russians along the Kupyansk-Svatovo line and a threat to detach the forces of defense from more important areas of the front. Another Russian troops acknowledged that the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation is difficult to move in the area of Sinkivka and Petropavlivka (6 km from Kupyansk): they are disturbed by Ukrainian minefields.
The summary of the General Staff of August 21 states that in the Kupyansk direction the enemy struck the west of Mykolaivka and conducted unsuccessful offensive actions in the area of Sinkivka of Kharkiv region. On August 20, Russian troops continued a limited offensive in the Kreminna area and achieved slight success. On geoloknut footage, published on August 20, Russian troops advanced northwest of Kreminna. The Russian troops reported that the promotion in the Bigorivka area was 12 km.
The Armed Forces continued the attack in the Bakhmut area and may have advanced on August 20 to Andriyivka (10 km from Bakhmut), but ISW did not confirm that the defense forces still hold these positions. Russian troops also conducted offensive operations in the Bakhmut area on August 20 and achieved minor advancement. Geolored footage on August 18 shows the advance of the west of the berry.
The summary of the General Staff states that in the Bakhmut direction the enemy conducted unsuccessful offensive actions in the Kurdyumivka area of Donetsk region, as well as aviation shelling in neighboring settlements. It should be reminded that, according to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the Armed Forces released three square kilometers near Bakhmut last week. The total area of the liberated territory was 43 square meters. kilometers.