UKRAINE, KHARKIV OBLAST, Aug 19 — On the Kharkiv axis, there were 23 combat clashes over the past day, and four settlements in the Oblast came under Russian airstrikes, reported the General Staff.

Russia started its new offensive north and northeast in the Kharkiv region in May, but Ukrainian troops have stabilized the frontline in this section since. Now, heavy battles are ongoing in and around Vovchansk (three miles from the border, 46 miles away from Kharkiv) and near Lyptsi (six miles from the border, 12 miles from Kharkiv.)

The General Staff reported that the Russian army tried to advance three times near Lyptsi and Vovchansk in the Kharkiv direction.

In the Kupiansk direction, Russian troops attacked the Ukrainian positions 20 times. Defense forces repelled assaults near Hlushkivka, Stelmakhivka, Kolesnykivka, Lozova, and Synkivka.

On August 16, DeepState, a Ukrainian crowdsourced OSINT war monitoring service, reported that Russia has advanced near the occupied village of Pishchane on Kupiansk axis, though the information wasn’t confirmed by Ukrainian officials.

On August 15, the “Kharkiv” group of forces reported that the Russian troops regrouped their personnel to conduct assault operations to recover lost positions near Hlyboke on the Kharkiv axis. The military said that the Russians are rotating troops near the village of Lyptsi, evacuating personnel and working on logistics. 

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  • In the Kupiansk direction, Russians attacked Ukrainian positions near Synkivka, Hlushkivka, Kolisnykivka, Andriivka, Kruhliakivka, Stelmakhivka, and Berestove 16 times over the past day, reported the General Staff.