KHARKIV OBLAST, UKRAINE, Dec 27 — AFU Ground Forces Commander Oleksandr Syrskyi said Russian troops continue to conduct offensive actions in the Kupiansk, Siversk, Lyman and Bakhmut directions.

“The adversary is trying to capture Synkivka in the Kupiansk sector at any cost and create circumstances for blocking Kupiansk,” said Syrskyi.

According to him, the Russian army is regrouping its units and increasing its efforts by moving units from other directions. The total number of assault units of the Russian army in this area is over 2,000.

Synkivka near Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast / Map: ISW

In addition, the Russians are deploying additional forces, heavy equipment, artillery and kamikaze drones along the entire front line. However, Ukrainian troops are putting up a fight, Syrskyi said.

He adds that over 1,000 Russian soldiers and 361 pieces of equipment were destroyed in the east between 18 and 24 December.

The deserted streets of Kupiansk, where you can see a few pedestrians. April 16, 2023. Kupiansk, Kharkiv Oblast / Denys Glushko for Gwara MediaLocals mostly move around by bike.

According to ISW (Institute for the study of war), Kremlin likely aimed to occupy Avdiivka and Kupiansk before elections in March 2024.

Russian dictator probably tasked the Russian military with capturing Avdiivka, and possibly Kupiansk, before the March 2024 elections, and the exhibition of the military’s support for Putin’s candidacy is possibly meant as a hedging strategy should the Russian military be unable to meet these given deadlines.

Read also: Constant missile attacks and empty streets: how Kupiansk lives on the front line.

Kupiansk, a town with a pre-war population of about 30,000 people, was occupied from late February till September 2022. The city is a railway and road hub between Kharkiv and Luhansk regions in eastern Ukraine.