UKRAINE, KHARKIV OBLAST, Dec 19 — There were ten Russian army attacks in the Kupiansk direction over the day. Defense forces repelled attacks near Lozova, Zahryzove, and Kolisnykivka, reported the General Staff.

One of the main goals of the Russian full-scale war is to capture the remainder of occupied Luhansk and Donetsk Oblast; their operations on the Kupiansk-Svatove-Kreminna line are dedicated to that. From this section of the frontline, they also aim to push into Kharkiv Oblast and re-occupy Kupiansk and Kupiansk-Vuzlovyi, important logistics hubs for the region.

Over the past day, Russian troops did not attempt to advance in the Kharkiv direction but actively used aviation. 

Russia launched three missile attacks, 65 airstrikes, dropping 112 glide bombs (KABs) on positions of Ukrainian troops and on cities and villages in the Kharkiv region over the past day. Russians fired about 5,000 times at Ukrainian forces, including 162 times with multiple launch rocket systems.

Read more

  • In the Kharkiv direction, the Russians have built up enough manpower and equipment to launch a second offensive from the north, said Oleksandr Danylenko, head of the communication for the “Gart” border guard brigade, to Ukrainian outlet Suspilne.