Russians seek to capture Lyman as springboard for offensive on Sloviansk and Kramatorsk — Trehubov

This was stated on television by Viktor Trehubov, spokesperson for the Joint Forces Task Force, according to Ukrinform.

"The Russians want to enter Lyman and establish a foothold there. Their goal is to take direct control of the town itself, not just the surrounding area, and use it as a base for further offensive operations southward toward the Sloviansk–Kramatorsk agglomeration. Even a look at the map makes it clear that this is a necessity for them," Trehubov said.

He noted that in recent months Russian forces have been looking for alternative routes that would bypass the need to control Lyman, for example by advancing through Rai-Oleksandrivka. However, he emphasized that without control of Lyman, any attempt to enter Sloviansk would be highly risky and logistically difficult, which is why Russian forces are determined to capture the city.

At the same time, Trehubov stressed that despite these efforts, Russian troops have so far been unable to establish themselves inside the town, although they have reportedly reached its eastern outskirts.

Regarding the situation in Kupiansk, Trehubov said conditions remain difficult. Russian forces are attempting to advance on the city from the north through the village of Holubivka. Ukrainian troops are conducting operations to push Russian forces out of the city's northern outskirts.

He also added that east of the Oskil River, Russian troops continue to apply pressure along the entire line of the Ukrainian bridgehead. The most active attempts to break through are occurring in the central sector, advancing from Pishchane toward Kucherivka and other eastern settlements. The ultimate objective of these attacks is to reach Kupiansk-Vuzlovyi from the east.

Trehubov also highlighted developments in drone warfare. According to him, over the past year Ukrainian drone units have significantly expanded their capabilities, gradually shifting the balance of power in Ukraine's favor.

"The Russians still retain certain advantages, but there are also areas where they face serious problems, which they themselves acknowledge, for example, with heavy multicopter drones, which they have failed to deploy effectively. Overall, the situation is becoming more favorable for Ukraine thanks to the quantitative and qualitative growth of Ukrainian drones and drone operators. There are more of them, they are being used more effectively, and the organization of their coordination has become much better than that of the Russians," the spokesperson said.

According to Ukrinform, 226 combat engagements between Ukraine's Defense Forces and Russian invading forces were recorded along the front line over the past 24 hours.

Photo: AFU General Staff