Russia has seized a third foothold on the right bank of the Oskol River, worsening the situation for Kupiansk.

Has Russia captured four footholds? The situation on the right bank of the Oskol River

"The enemy continues to expand its control on the right bank of the Oskol River at the established footholds. In particular, the adversary is persistently accumulating infantry, applying pressure in small groups of several individuals on the positions of the Defense Forces, as well as deploying crews with drones and other means of fire impact in the area," said Roman Pogorely.

He noted that, unfortunately, the situation has not yet stabilized, while the daily increase in Russian potential reduces the chances of a "quick" pushback from the established footholds.

"The worst part is that the Russians are learning from their previous mistakes," the analyst stated.

What is currently happening on the front in the Kharkiv region?

According to Roman Pogorely, Russian military forces are now focused on Dvurechne to establish a stronghold at the foothold and accumulate their forces for further advancement.

"Control of that area is at least a diversion of our forces, which are forced to expend efforts there. Destabilization of the region has always been a certain priority for the enemy," he explained.

The co-founder of DeepState pointed out that in the Western area, the adversary could reach the heights extending towards Doroshivka and target logistics, particularly in Kupiansk. Moreover, the Russians might advance their movement towards Kupiansk from the northern side along the Oskol River to Golubivka and Kondrashivka, as this is one of their primary objectives in that area.

"Over time, we will see how the enemy moves, what forces they will employ, and to what extent they will be allowed to advance from the footholds," he added.

"Currently, the Russians have significantly intensified their activities near the border. The main objective is to expand the foothold on the right bank of the Oskol River and advance towards Kupiansk," said Zhdanov.

When asked whether Ukrainian fighters could stop the adversary in this area soon, the expert replied that it all depends on what troops are stationed there. He believes that considering the situation arose unexpectedly, it is likely that non-combat brigades were stationed there, possibly territorial defense forces. Active combat operations had not occurred in that section of the front for over a year. The Russian military likely took advantage of this and swiftly crossed to the right bank of the river.

Furthermore, the Russian Armed Forces plan to advance, aiming to stretch Ukrainian reserves to the maximum. According to Zhdanov, in the near future, some units will need to be withdrawn from the Kupiansk direction and redeployed to the Topolia area to strengthen Ukrainian units and introduce reserves.

"The enemy may exploit these three points — Novomlynsk, Dvurechne, Western — to expand or consolidate into a single foothold from the territory they captured on the right bank of the Oskol," Zhdanov summarized.

Recall that on January 27, the British Ministry of Defence reported that the Russian army was advancing towards Kupiansk in the Kharkiv region. Specifically, the adversary was gradually expanding its foothold on the right bank of the Oskol River.

On February 4, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that in the Kupiansk direction, Ukrainian fighters forced the enemy to abandon their forward positions near one of the settlements. The enemy command is attempting to return personnel to their positions by threatening with execution.