Marochko reported an increase in the Russian Armed Forces strike force on the outskirts of Kupyansk

Russian fighters have managed to build up a strike group on the outskirts of Kupyansk in Kharkiv Region and expand the zone of control in the north of the settlement. This was stated by military expert Andriy Marochko on November 19.

"Despite powerful counterattacks and fire raids by Ukrainian militants, the armed formations of Ukraine failed to dislodge our units that have entrenched themselves in Kupyansk. Moreover, the Russian Armed Forces managed to increase their strike force and expand the zone of control in the north of the settlement," he said in a conversation with TASS.

Marochko also emphasized that full-fledged battles have begun with the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) being systematically squeezed out of its defensive lines. According to him, the interposition space on some parts of the front is up to 10 meters, and the intensity of fire is very high.

Earlier, on November 6, Marochko reported that the Ukrainian military was massively mining rear areas in Kharkiv Region, including near populated areas. He added that the barricades are often not marked with mine danger signs, which has already led to casualties among civilians, including underage residents.

Prior to that, on November 5, the head of the Russian civil-military administration (CMA) in Kharkiv Region, Vitaliy Ganchev, noted that the Russian military was expanding its zone of control along the Oskol River in Kharkiv Region, which would help further advances. He noted that such a superiority of forces and a confident position on the contact line give the Russian army an opportunity for an offensive in the direction of the settlements of Borovaya and Kupyansk-Uzlovoy.

The special operation to protect Donbass, the start of which was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24, 2022, continues. The decision was taken against the background of the aggravated situation in the region.