UKRAINE, KHARKIV OBLAST, Oct. 20 — Russian troops advanced in Kupiansk and Vovchansk, reported DeepState, OSINT war monitoring group. 

“The enemy was able to extend its control in the central part of the city,” DeepState analyst then wrote. “Groups that were getting into Kupiansk for the last four weeks managed to amass enough infantry, and try to move towards the southern part of the city.” 

Russia aims to surround and occupy Kupiansk and seize Kupiansk-Vuzlovyi, a city to the south of Kupiansk. It will allow its troops an access to the local railway hub that’ll simplify logistics for their transportation of heavy equipment. 

“The following days will be decisive for the fate of Kupiansk,” DeepState wrote. “Either Ukraine’s defence forces will find reserves to stabilise, or, sadly, the enemy will amass a critical number of infantry.” 

Russia has intensified their assault on Kupiansk this summer. A month ago, Gwara’s journalists found out what Moscow’s slow efforts resulted in for the city.  

One of the soldiers told them that “if Russians have grabbed onto the first buildings in any settlement, you can only physically push them out of here. No FPV drones, ground robots, explosives, or artillery can help.”

In Vovchansk, Russian troops aim to seize Vovchansk completely. North of the Kharkiv region, they aim to push Ukrainian troops farther away from the state’s border and get closer to Kharkiv so that tube artillery would be able to target the city. 

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