Ukrainian border guards report increased Russian activity in Kharkiv Oblast

Russian forces have been probing Ukrainian defences in the Vovchansk hromada in Kharkiv Oblast for about a week, attacking positions of Ukraine's defence forces and seeking to expand the area under their control. However, Ukraine's State Border Guard Service says the Russians are suffering significant losses.

Source: Andrii Demchenko, spokesperson for the State Border Guard Service, during the national joint 24/7 newscast

Quote: "For about a week now, the enemy has been probing our defences specifically within the Vovchansk hromada, attempting to attack the positions of Ukrainian defenders, including State Border Guard Service units in our sectors of defence."

Details: Demchenko said Russian forces have also recently begun showing activity within the Vilkhuvatka hromada.

He did not rule out that the Russians are seeking to create conditions for further advances through these actions.

Meanwhile, Demchenko noted that Russian forces have been active in the Vovchansk hromada since the beginning of the year, particularly towards Dihtiarne, but have failed to make significant gains during this period.

He said that despite their numerical advantage over Ukrainian troops and the large number of attacks preceding infantry assaults, Russian forces are suffering significant losses, with many killed or wounded and some being taken prisoner.

Quote: "The enemy is trying to infiltrate the area, but it is suffering heavy losses, both killed and wounded. Large numbers of Russian troops are being taken prisoner.

And our soldiers are doing everything possible to destroy the enemy's logistics and the weapons it uses to attack our territory on Russian soil."

Background:

• On 1 September, Russian leader Vladimir Putin claimed that Russian forces had captured another 14 Ukrainian settlements, including Kozacha Lopan and Sviatohirsk. His claims were echoed by the Russian Defence Ministry.
• However, according to the interactive map of hostilities produced by DeepState, a Ukrainian group of military analysts, these settlements are not under Russian occupation.
• The Ukrainian military refuted claims by Putin and the Russian Defence Ministry that Russian forces had captured the settlement of Kozacha Lopan in Kharkiv Oblast.
• Ukraine's 16th Army Corps also refuted Russian Defence Ministry claims about the supposed capture of several settlements and the "closing of the Vovchansk pocket", stating that the corps has not lost any positions within its defensive sector over the past six months.

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