In the past few days, Russian forces have focused their efforts in northeastern Ukraine’s Kupiansk direction, as stated by Artem Lysohor, the Head of the Luhansk Regional Military Administration, on Telegram on 7 January.

The area of the local major railway hub of Kupiansk, Kharkiv Oblast, includes several settlements in northwestern Luhansk Oblast, liberated earlier in the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war.

“The Luhansk Oblast’s de-occupied villages and fortifications of the Ukrainian military were affected by massive shelling. A total of 551 enemy projectiles were recorded within our responsibility area,” Lysohor said.

As per his statement, the Russians are currently making concerted efforts to breach Ukraine’s defensive lines, employing both conventional military forces and assault units comprised of former convicts. Russian forces appear to prioritize their objectives over the losses of tanks or other armored vehicles, he stated.

Lysohor wrote that Russian forces’ attacks targeted Luhansk’s Nevske and Bilohorivka, while their air strike hit the Serebrianske forestry.

“In recent days, Russians have focused efforts on attacks in the Kupiansk direction,” Lysohor reported.

Lysohor also addressed certain Russian narratives, according to Ukrinform. Recently, the occupying forces announced their intention to restore the war-torn areas of the Luhansk region by 2035. However, the proposed restoration plan covers only approximately 10% of the sites requiring extensive repairs or new construction efforts, translating to less than 1% per annum.

In March 2023, Russian invaders announced the construction of six all-Russian landfill sites in the territory controlled by the so-called “Luhansk People’s Republic,” which is considered a terrorist organization under Ukrainian laws. Now, they have set a 2030 deadline for this project, which is five years quicker than housing construction.

Read also:

• ISW: Russian troops likely to intensify offensive on Kupiansk in coming weeks
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• Stratcom: Ukrainian forces struck oil depot in occupied Luhansk
• Official: Russian army “eliminated” almost all Ukrainian literature in occupied Luhansk, Donetsk
• Ukraine’s spy agency says it eliminated Russia’s “LNR colonel” Filiponenko in occupied Luhansk (updated)