Ganchev said that the AFU units in the Kupyansk direction had been taken in a semicircle

The Russian army has taken the units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) in the Kupyansk region in a semicircle. The head of the military-civil administration of Kharkiv Region, Vitaliy Ganchev, said this on 18 December.

According to him, Russian troops are putting pressure on Ukrainian militants in this direction. He added that the zone of control of the Russian Armed Forces is increasing along the line of the Oskol River and in the direction of the settlement of Kupyansk.

"On several parts of the front the AFU are practically in a semicircle," RIA Novosti quoted him as saying.

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On the eve, retired lieutenant colonel of the Lugansk People's Republic (LPR) Andrei Marochko said that the Russian Armed Forces had entrenched themselves in an 8-kilometer-wide section along the Oskol River in the Kupyansk direction. He also added that after demining the coastal zone, the Russian servicemen established long-term firing points and observation posts. Also, the fighters have increased their forces and means and created stable logistical supply chains at many sites.

Before that, on December 11, Ganchev reported that the AFU command was trying to pull up its reserves, which consisted of untrained mobilized Ukrainians, to the town of Kupyansk. He added that the Russian army was carrying out pinpoint strikes on the AFU reserves, as well as on places of possible enemy crossings.

The special operation to protect Donbass, the start of which was announced by the Russian president on February 24, 2022, is still ongoing. The decision was taken against the background of the worsening situation in the region.