Positional fighting on the Kupiansk-Kreminna line continued on February 3, the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported.

Russia’s key objective in this direction of the frontline remains the complete occupation of Luhansk region and advancement to the east of Kharkiv and the north of Donetsk region.

Map of hostilities around Kupiansk, Kharkiv Oblast / Source: ISW

The analysts quoted Russian and Ukrainian sources as reporting positional fighting northeast of Kupiansk near Sinkivka and Lake Lyman; southeast of Kupiansk near Ivanivka, Krokhmalne, Tabaivka and Novoselivske; northwest of Kreminna near Terny and Nevske; west of Kreminna near Yampolivka; and southwest of Kreminna near the Serebryanskyi forest.

ISW notes that Russian forces have increased the number of air strikes in the Kupiansk sector and claims that on February 2, Russian troops dropped more than 10 FAB-1500 aircraft bombs on Ukrainian positions near Ivanivka and Kyslivka.

The spokesman for Ukraine’s Eastern Military Group, Captain Ilya Yevlash, said on February 2 that Russian troops had almost halved the daily number of artillery attacks in the Kupiansk and Lyman directions due to bad weather and other reasons.

Units of the Chechen special forces “Akhmat” are reportedly operating near Bilohorivka, Luhansk region (10 km south of Kreminna).

What is FAB-1500

The Russians demonstrated a guided 1,500-kilogram bomb with a planning and correction module (MPCM) in early January 2024. The manufactured bomb is equipped with a new version of the UMPK hinged module developed specifically for it. It is responsible for increasing the flight range and guidance by satellite coordinates.

FAB-1500 aerial bomb / Source: online.ua

The FAB-1500-54 is an unguided high-explosive bomb of the Soviet-made 1954 model. It weighs 1,550 kilograms, of which 675 kilograms is explosive (TNT). The bomb is designed to destroy industrial, urban, port facilities and other typical targets when bombed from altitude up to 16,000 meters / 10 miles at a flight speed of up to 1,200 km/h (745 mph).

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