Not a new problem – Ukrainian Armed Forces on Russian troops in east numbering over 100,000

Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesman of the Eastern Group of Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, has stressed that the Russian troops numbering over 100,000 people on the Lyman-Kupiansk front is not a new problem, and they "did not appear there yesterday".

Source: Cherevatyi on the air of Radio Liberty; Hanna Maliar, Deputy Defence Minister, on air of the national joint 24/7 newscast 

Quote from Cherevatyi: "This problem is not a new one, [it did not arise] today, and the Defence Forces have not let them make any progress for many months in a row and have been fiercely striking them. That is, it was not yesterday that 100,000 [soldiers] appeared. This figure has been around that for a long time, maybe a little more or a little less.

Yes, it [the number of troops – ed.] is significant. Yes, we need to take into account its size. But this figure is not an indicator of a threat nor a cause for fear, but rather a cause of pride in the Defenсe Forces of Ukraine."

Details: Cherevatyi noted that this group, despite its size, is not well prepared and motivated.

Hanna Maliar, Deputy Defence Minister, said that the Russians have been advancing on the Kupiansk front since Saturday. In her opinion, this is happening in response to the Ukrainian offensive on the Bakhmut front.

Maliar explained that Russians are launching an offensive on other fronts for the Armed Forces of Ukraine to switch their forces to defend other fronts.

Background: 

• On the evening of 17 July, Serhii Cherevatyi reported that Russia had gathered more than 100,000 soldiers of its occupation forces on the Lyman-Kupiansk axis.
• On the same evening, Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, stated that Russian occupying troops went on the offensive on the Kupiansk front. 

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!