Putin’s declared ceasefire not felt on Kharkiv axis – Kharkiv OTG
Despite the so-called "ceasefire" announced by Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, the enemy continues to apply pressure along the Kharkiv and Kupiansk axes.
This was reported by Pavlo Shamshyn, spokesperson for the Kharkiv Operational Group, during a live television broadcast, according to Censor.NET, citing Ukrinform.
"On the Kharkiv axis, Putin’s declared ceasefire is not being felt at all. In fact, over the past week, we’ve observed a significant increase in enemy activity. On some days, Russian forces conducted up to 11 assault operations, targeting our positions. The main hotspot remains the Vovchansk area. The city has essentially ceased to exist as a livable place, but the enemy continues assault operations there — both in the town itself and nearby settlements such as Vovchanski Khutory and Tykhe, "Shamshyn said.
According to him, Russian forces continue to shell Vovchansk with artillery of various calibers, multiple launch rocket systems, mortars, heavy flamethrower systems, and drones.
As for the situation near the village of Dvorichna, Russian activity over the past week has shifted north, closer to the border. The enemy launched attacks near the settlements of Stroivka and Topoli. All of these attempts were repelled by Ukrainian defenders.
The spokesperson confirmed that Ukrainian forces had liberated a forested area near the village of Lyptsi, stressing its strategic significance.
"The area might not seem large — around 200 hectares — but some positions on the front line shouldn't be measured in square kilometers alone. The Lyptsi area includes several dominant heights, and on a clear day, you can see the northern outskirts of Kharkiv, including Saltivka district, from one of those elevations. By the way, Lyptsi and those high grounds were among the key objectives of the Russian offensive launched exactly one year ago, on May 10. That objective was never achieved. And just yesterday, our units liberated the forested area known as ‘Berlin,’ located north of Lyptsi," the spokesperson added, noting that the operation carries primarily tactical significance, as Ukrainian forces succeeded in pushing Russian troops further back.
According to him, during this battle, Russian forces suffered losses of up to 1,500 personnel killed and wounded, along with a significant amount of weapons and military equipment.
Commenting on the situation in Vovchansk, Shamshyn noted that there are virtually no buildings left in the city — only ruins and rubble. Nevertheless, the enemy continues its attempts to seize it.
"After a year of intense fighting and bombardment, virtually nothing remains of Vovchansk. It’s all ruins, shattered bricks. The city has been destroyed down to its foundations. If anything is still there, it’s probably just underground infrastructure or basement shelters. And it’s important to understand that these basements are being used by Russian forces primarily to store manpower, ammunition, food, water, and other supplies. They have not given up on their goal of capturing Vovchansk," he said.
Regarding the situation near Kupiansk, the spokesperson reported that Russian forces continue attempts to deploy infantry groups to the right bank of the Oskil River, north of the city.
"Their objective there is to hold — and if possible expand — a bridgehead in order to pose a threat to Kupiansk from the north, or along the right bank. But for that threat to become truly viable, they would need to build pontoon crossings over the Oskil to move equipment and ensure effective logistics," Shamshyn explained.
At the same time, Ukrainian intelligence identifies places where the enemy is trying to set up such crossings and immediately destroys them.
