UKRAINE, KHARKIV OBLAST, Sep. 21 — On Sep. 19 and 20, Russian forces continued their offensive operations on the Kupiansk axis but didn’t make confirmed advances, as Ukrainian forces counterattacked east of the village of Zapadne in the Kupiansk district, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said.

In the Kupiansk direction, Russian forces are mostly concentrated around the city of Kupiansk in eastern Kharkiv oblast — an important logistics hub that connects Kharkiv region with Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.

The ISW analysts reviewed footage posted on Sep. 19 showing Russian troops operating near the village of Doroshivka, north of Kupiansk. However, ISW analysts cannot verify when the footage was recorded or whether the  soldiers shown were Russian.

At the same time, the ISW analysts reject Russian claims about advances in the villages of Doroshivka, Tischenivka, and Zapadne, saying that only a few Russian soldiers have  infiltrated Tischenivka. 

The ISW assessment also said that Russian forces continued limited offensive operations southeast of Borova in the Izium district, approximately 30 kilometers (~19 miles) from Kupiansk, on Sep. 19 and 20, but did not advance.

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