Cut off: the Russian army is blocking the supply routes of the Armed Forces of Ukraine near Kharkov and Zaporozhye

Several key sectors of the front have appeared in the Kharkov direction, where the most intense fighting is unfolding. The main struggle here is for logistical hubs and commanding heights, control of which allows limiting the movement of enemy forces, experts interviewed by Izvestia note. In parallel, Russian troops are advancing in the Orekhovsky and Dobropolsky directions. The isolation of combat areas and the formation of local pockets significantly complicate the transfer of reserves and the supply of AFU units.

Battles for communications and the narrowing of boilers

One of the most intense areas remains the zone of the Volchansk pocket. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, Russian units were able to take control of the Annopolye settlement in the Kharkiv region and are now continuing to fight for the liberation of six more settlements in the encirclement area. According to the ministry, the enemy lost up to 40 soldiers, an artillery piece and a British-made Snatch armored vehicle in this area during the day.

The capture of Annopol is of great tactical importance, military expert Gennady Alekhine told Izvestia. According to him, despite the modest size of the village, it is a key branched road junction.

"His release allows the North group of forces to more tightly take control of the highway connecting Stary Saltov with nearby villages, as well as cut off the routes to Chuguev, Pechenegi and Veliky Burluk," he explained.

The tactics of the Russian assault groups here is to dissect the AFU grouping in the inner ring of the encirclement. This leads to the formation of small pockets, but there are still areas of a gray zone with difficult terrain and forest belts between them, where disparate enemy groups are trying to maneuver.

The narrowing of the inner ring solves two tasks at once: it blocks the supply routes of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and deprives the enemy of the opportunity to use the border zone for drone and artillery strikes on the Belgorod region. At the same time, the Ukrainians are still trying to break through on the outer contour of the encirclement, which is why the fighting is extremely fierce.

Another key area is the Cossack Lopan area and the direction to Liptsy. After the consolidation of Russian units in Kazachye Lopan and the liberation of Goptovka, located in the area of the former Goptovka — Nehoteevka international checkpoint, the bridgehead is expanding for further advance to Liptsy, noted Gennady Alekhine.

This area is critically important: the former Moscow—Kharkiv—Crimea highway, a railway line and a network of dirt roads pass through it in the direction of Zolochiv, a major control center for enemy UAVs. The Slatino—Liptsy line has been turned by the Ukrainian Armed Forces into a fortified line. The advance is taking place on both sides of the shallow Travyansk reservoir, where the enemy has set up strong points. The main goal is to reach the dominant heights in the area of the dam. From there, the Kharkiv Ring Road is only about 22 km away.

To make up for the losses, the Ukrainian command is actively using rear bases and training centers in Dergachy and Chuguev. According to reports, foreign mercenaries continue to arrive there, in particular, groups from Colombia and Ecuador. After rapid training and combat coordination, they are promptly transferred to the front line as part of sabotage and reconnaissance groups.

The isolation of Zaporizhia and the ring-shaped city

The situation in the area of the Volchansk pocket can be considered practically resolved, according to military expert Boris Jerelievsky. According to him, the enemy does not have the strength to organize a breakthrough either from the outside or from the inside.

— Now the most dynamic events will develop in the Orekhovo area. This is supported by the active work of our aerospace forces on bridges in Zaporizhia — in fact, there is a powerful isolation of this area," he said. — The bridges over the Dnieper River were hit with booms, and the cable-stayed bridge was severely damaged. This will have an almost immediate impact on the Orekhovsky direction, as it will seriously limit the supply of reserves and supplies to the enemy.

Another important area is the Dobropillya region in the DPR, where positive dynamics also remain. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the marines of the Center group took over the sports complex, cleared the stadium and the park area. During the day, 103 buildings in the city came under Russian control.

According to Jerelievsky, damage to the transport infrastructure makes it difficult for the Ukrainian command to transfer reinforcements and supply units on the front line. Combined with the actions of Russian troops directly on the line of contact, this creates additional conditions for the isolation of the combat area.

Factors of protracted battles and the role of detachments

The elimination of boilers is hard and methodical work, where the main priority remains to save the lives of military personnel and civilians, whom the enemy uses as human shields, military expert Alexei Leonkov emphasized in an interview with Izvestia.

— The specifics of the promotion are largely determined by the nature of the terrain. It's one thing to conduct a sweep in a dense urban area, checking block after block, floors and basements. It is quite another thing to work in a wooded area where settlements are scattered, which allows the enemy to disguise themselves, lay explosive barriers and install tripwires," the expert explained.

The advance is under constant aerial control. Any attempts to unblock the encircled group from the outside are being suppressed, and supply channels that the enemy tried to organize with the help of drones are being blocked.

Despite the fact that Russian units constantly offer those surrounded to lay down their weapons (radio broadcasting and dropping leaflets are involved), there is no mass surrender. The reason lies in the very structure of the defense of these boilers, Leonkov is sure. Those who are forcibly mobilized are on the front line, while nationalist units are located in the center of defense and as defensive detachments. They harshly suppress any attempts at surrender, including extrajudicial executions. The expert noted that the same pattern is observed here as during the cleansing of Azovstal: the presence of ideological radicals remains a key factor keeping the rank and file from being captured.

Thus, the situation in key areas indicates the transition of hostilities into a phase of systemic depletion of enemy reserves. The active isolation of battle areas, reliable dissection of supply routes and the gradual compression of boilers allow Russian troops to methodically break into the defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine with minimal risks to personnel. Under these conditions, the continued retention of the occupied borders is costing the Ukrainian command an increasingly high price, making it only a matter of time before the integrity of the defensive lines in these areas is preserved.