[Reuters] Prime Minister Keir Starmer's decision last month to let the British military board ships of Russia’s so‑called "shadow fleet" has had no clear impact on the number passing through UK waters, a Reuters analysis shows.
In the month after Starmer's March 25 threat, at least 98 Russian vessels subject to UK sanctions transited its waters, about the same as each of the last three months.
There has been no announcement of any boarding or detention of the ships, which typically have an opaque ownership structure and can transport oil, grains and arms, often in support of Russia's war in Ukraine.
LSEG tracking data shows that 63 ships passed within 12 nautical miles of the coastline in the English Channel, the most direct route between the Baltic Sea and southern Europe.
Another 35 travelled through Britain's Exclusive Economic Zone, which extends up to 200 nautical miles from the coast, mainly around north Scotland.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Korrespondent] 22.27 The Ukrainian side will provide its partners with the information it has about the operations that the Russians are potentially planning in NATO countries. Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated this in an evening address.
21.50 Strikes on Russian energy facilities in Tuapse could lead to an ecological disaster. This was stated by the head of the ruling regime of Russia, Vladimir Putin, during a meeting on the upcoming elections to the State Duma of the Russian Federation in 2026 on Wednesday, April 28, as quoted by Russian propaganda media.
20.59 Ukraine is launching arms exports and has already agreed on all the details at the level of state institutions. This was stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Telegram.
19.54 A release of burning petroleum products occurred in Tuapse after a night attack by Ukrainian drones on the refinery. Petroleum products are leaking from damaged tanks directly onto the street. A regional state of emergency has been declared in the Tuapse municipal district. This is reported by Russian media, as well as the operational headquarters of the Krasnodar Territory.
In Tuapse, after the third attack by Ukraine, burning petroleum products flow through the streets pic.twitter.com/JrwXx0dw1X
— Lee (@lipcansmaks1) April 28,
In Tuapse, after the third attack by Ukraine, burning petroleum products flow through the streets pic.twitter.com/UXsKs0YY0h
— Lee (@lipcansmaks1) April 28,
19.59 Ukraine has learned with regret that Russian citizen Alexander Butyagin, who is reasonably suspected of committing a crime on Ukrainian territory, has not been extradited to Ukraine. This was stated by the spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Heorhiy Tykhyi, to journalists.
18.59 The Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported a successful attack on the Russian Federation's missile infrastructure in temporarily occupied Crimea. The Special Operations Forces (SOF) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this on their Facebook page.
18.39 The aggressor country Russia is planning further offensive operations in Ukraine by expanding mobilization. This was announced by President Volodymyr Zelensky on Telegram following the report of the head of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GUR), Oleg Ivashchenko.
18.27 Russia plans to recruit tens of thousands of foreigners to the army in 2026. This was reported by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine. It is noted that the Russian Federation has intensified its campaign to recruit foreigners, primarily migrants. In all federal districts, checks have been carried out on the number of foreign men aged 18 to 60. The military commissariats have been given clear indicators: to recruit from 0.5% to 3.5% of the total number of foreigners in each region to the war against Ukraine. For this purpose, 97 contract selection points are used. The largest number of such centers operates in the Central Military District - 30. In the Moscow and Southern Districts - 21 each, in the Eastern District - 14, and the smallest in the Leningrad District - 11. According to estimates, in 2026, the Russian Ministry of Defense plans to recruit at least 18,500 foreigners.
17.46 As a result of a daytime attack by Russian strike drones on Kyiv, two citizens were injured, and there is damage in two districts. This was reported by the National Police.
Investigative and operational teams of district police departments, explosives technicians, and units of the State Emergency Service are working on the ground.
17.25 The Supreme Anti-Corruption Court (SAC) has seized the assets of former MP Oleg Tsarev to the state's revenue. The court announced this on Tuesday.
As is known, in March 2023, Tsarev was sentenced in absentia to 12 years in prison. He was found guilty of encroaching on the territorial integrity and inviolability of Ukraine.
And in November, the former MP was sentenced in another criminal case – for financing Russia's armed aggression. He was sentenced to eight years in prison and the confiscation of all his property worth 500 million hryvnias.
16.59 Since the beginning of the day and as of 16:00, 59 clashes have been recorded on the front in eight directions. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this in an operational summary.
16.55 Water supply has been temporarily cut off in Tuapse and the adjacent Shepsinsky rural district. The cause was a failure of the power supply system of the water pumping station located on the territory of the oil refinery, which is on fire after a drone attack. This was reported by the head of the municipal district, Sergey Boyko, rosZMI reports. According to the authorities, by the end of the day, water tanks will be installed in the outage areas. Also, water will be returned to citizens' homes in the evening, but only for an hour - from 18:00 to 19:00, so that people can stock up. A new attack by Ukrainian drones on the Tuapse refinery took place on the night of April 28. This is the third strike on the enterprise in the past two weeks. The flames engulfed the gas turbine unit and "two or three" new tanks that were not damaged by previous attacks. At the same time, the situation continues to worsen. Smoke from the fire can be seen even from the Krasnaya Polyana resort. The Tuapse authorities announced the evacuation of local residents.
16.29 As part of an exchange with Russia, Poland handed over to Moscow Russian archaeologist Alexander Butyagin, whose extradition was requested by Ukraine for excavations in occupied Crimea. This was stated by the Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, the Rzeczpospolita newspaper reports.
16.19 On Tuesday, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the State of Israel to Ukraine, Michael Brodsky, was invited to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and handed a note of protest. This was stated in a comment by the spokesman for the department, Georgy Tykhy.
Ukraine demands that the Israeli side immediately take measures to stop the import of stolen grain.
15.56 About a third of Ukrainian drone strikes are aimed at the manpower of the Russian army, and this figure already exceeds the planned level. This was stated by the commander of the Unmanned Systems Forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Robert "Magyar" Brovdi, in an interview with the BBC. "30% of all drone strikes should be on military personnel. You can call this a plan of destruction, and now we will exceed it," he noted. According to Brovdi, Ukraine has effective weapons not for waging an offensive war, but in order to prevent the enemy from effectively advancing through its territory.
15.44 On the northern borders of Ukraine, large-scale construction of a continuous line of defense from the Kyiv Reservoir to Sumy is underway. This was reported by the Chief of the Engineering Troops of the Armed Forces Support Forces Command, Brigadier General Vasyl Syrotenko, in a comment to Ukrinform.
15.26 Cases of insufficient supply of products to remote positions in the 30th Separate Brigade, 128th Separate Brigade and 108th Separate Brigade of the Ukrainian Army should not become systemic. The Ministry of Defense reported that it is working with the General Staff on this issue. "The situation in the 14th Separate Brigade is indicative: the Ground Forces commission is conducting an investigation, the brigade commander has been removed, the perpetrators will be held accountable. Commander-in-Chief General Syrsky ordered the commanders of groups and corps to check the provision of fighters on the contact line by May 20. Distorted reports on the combat situation will have direct negative consequences for officials," the report says.
15.03 The Ukrainian Navy conducted an operation to evacuate a Ukrainian intelligence officer from the temporarily occupied territory of the Zaporizhia region. This is stated in a message on the Navy's telegram channel. "The life of a citizen of Ukraine, who, under the conditions of occupation, saved our soldiers and transmitted valuable intelligence data, was under threat. Later, Serhiy was released, but he found himself in a trap: without documents, under constant surveillance of the FSB and the "commander's office", which critically complicated any possibility of movement," the message says. By order of the Commander of the Ukrainian Navy, Vice Admiral Oleksiy Neizhpapa, the Navy's special intelligence detachment "Yangola" conducted a risky and complex operation to evacuate a man from the occupied part of the Zaporizhia region to the territory controlled by Ukraine.
14.51 Russian Shahed attack drones were able to break through to Kyiv during the day. Air defense is working on them, Mayor Vitali Klitschko reported on Telegram.
Meanwhile, a video was posted on social media showing a "shaheed" hitting a high-rise building in the Creator City residential complex.
14.22 A man was detained in Kyiv who, under the guise of a "major general" and head of internal security of a public organization, promised a serviceman to pass a military medical commission (MMC) and be removed from the military register for $15,000. The National Police reported this.
13:45 The Verkhovna Rada extended martial law and general mobilization in Ukraine for the 19th time. This was announced during a plenary session on Tuesday.
13.27 The Ukrainian authorities, due to the arrival in Israel of a second ship with stolen Ukrainian grain, have begun preparing a package of sanctions against companies associated with this scheme. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced this on Telegram.
12.59 Law enforcement officers have foiled the contract killing of the Hero of Ukraine - Major General of the Defense Forces of our country. This was reported by the SBU. Two killers were detained during the preparation stage of the assassination attempt.
12.46 Russian troops attacked Chuguiev with a drone. Previously, one person was killed and another was injured as a result of the shelling. This was reported by the head of the Kharkiv OVA, Oleg Syngubov. He added that a 74-year-old man was injured as a result of the enemy shelling of Chuguiev. He has explosive wounds, his condition is serious. The wounded man is currently in the hospital, and doctors are providing all necessary assistance. A passenger car was damaged by the Russian UAV strike. All relevant services are continuing to work at the scene.
12.29 On Tuesday night, the Ukrainian military carried out a new attack on the Tuapse oil refinery in the Krasnodar Territory of the Russian Federation. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this.
12.22 Russian troops struck Konotop with drones. Four people are known to have been injured. This was reported by the city's mayor, Artem Semenikhin, on April 28.
"We have four wounded city residents. One of them is in moderate condition, now doctors are fighting for his health in the operating room. A man born in 1969," he noted.
11.15 Law enforcement officers have dismantled an international channel for supplying "prize" weapons, with which the leader of the so-called "DPR" Denis Pushilin awarded Russian propagandists and foreign politicians who are supporters of the Russian Federation. The National Police reported this.
10.49 Ukrainian special services managed to detain two FSB agents. One of them is an IT specialist from Cherkasy region who was recruiting local residents, the SBU reported.
10.25 On Tuesday morning, power outages were recorded in 10 regions of Ukraine due to shelling by Russian aggressors and bad weather. This was reported by Ukrenergo. The situation is most difficult in Sumy region, where consumers remain without power due to both enemy strikes and bad weather.
09.47 Russian troops attacked the infrastructure of Kryvyi Rih. A 40-year-old man died as a result of enemy strikes. This was reported by the head of the Dnipropetrovsk OVA Oleksandr Ganzha.
Russian troops carried out several strikes on the city. The attacks damaged infrastructure.
"A 40-year-old man died. Five more men - 31, 32, 41, 45 and 57 years old - were injured," Ganzha added.
08.44 The 1525th day of the Russian Federation's large-scale armed aggression against Ukraine has begun. In total, 226 combat clashes took place on the front during the past day, as of this morning. This is stated in the General Staff report.
Yesterday, the enemy carried out 76 air strikes, dropping 247 guided bombs. In addition, it used 6,251 kamikaze drones and carried out 2,283 attacks on settlements and positions of our troops, including 34 from multiple rocket launchers.
08.33 Russian troops attacked Ukraine with 123 attack drones. Air defense neutralized 95 enemy drones. This was reported by the Air Force.
08.17 Russian troops launched a massive strike on Konotop in the morning. Residential buildings, a hospital, administrative buildings, and a tram network were damaged in the city. This was reported by the city's mayor, Artem Semenikhin.
"We have damage to residential buildings... We have damage to the tram network! Temporarily (until restoration) tram number 2 will not run to "Zhytlomasyv", - noted Semenikhin.
08.04 During the day, Russian troops attacked the Mykolaiv region with drones. A 60-year-old man was injured. This was reported by the head of the OVA Vitaly Kim.
"Yesterday, the enemy attacked the area with a Shahed UAV. After the attack in Mykolaiv, a 60-year-old man went to the hospital. He received minor injuries and will continue to be treated on an outpatient basis," Kim noted.
07.39 During the day, Russian troops carried out 614 strikes on 45 settlements in Zaporizhia region. Two women were injured. This was reported by the head of the OVA Ivan Fedorov.
A total of 58 reports of damage to homes, cars, and infrastructure were received.
"Two women were injured as a result of enemy attacks in the Zaporizhia district," the head of the OVA informed.
07.13 Over the past 24 hours, the defense forces eliminated and wounded 1,180 Russian occupiers, the total enemy losses in the war amounted to 1,327,640 people. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this.
03.16 Tuapse Oil Refinery has been hit by a new drone attack. Fires are being recorded on four tanks.
00.44 On Monday evening, the Russians attacked parking lots in Sumy with drones twice. Both strikes occurred in the Kovpakiv district. The first strike by a Russian drone damaged 15 trucks and two buses. A second strike damaged seven vehicles.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Korrespondent] Traditionally, the enemy is active in the Pokrovsky direction, where almost half of all assaults are concentrated.
Since the beginning of the day and as of 4:00 p.m., 59 clashes have been recorded on the front in eight directions. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported this in an operational summary on Tuesday, April 28.
Thus, in the South Slobozhansk direction, the Russians stormed twice near the settlements of Starytsia and in the direction of Chervona Zora. One clash is ongoing.
In the Lymansky direction, fighting continues near the settlement of Drobysheve.
In the Slavic direction, our soldiers repelled two attempts by the invaders to advance in the Yampol area and in the direction of Rai-Oleksandrivka.
In the Kostyantynivka direction, the invaders carried out 10 attacks near Kostyantynivka, Illinivka, Oleksandro-Shultynye, Ivano-Pol', and Pleshchiivka.
In the Pokrovsky direction, the invaders tried to advance 25 times in the areas of the settlements of Novopavlivka, Sofiivka, Vilne, Novooleksandrivka, Rodynske, Pokrovsk, Hryshyne, Udachne, Muravka, and Novopidhorodne. Three clashes are ongoing.
In the Oleksandrivka direction, the enemy attacked four times in the areas of the settlements of Oleksandrovgrad, Stepove, and Krasnohirske. One clash is currently ongoing.
In the Hulyaipil direction, the Defense Forces successfully repelled ten attacks in the areas of Zaliznychny, Hulyaipil, Dobropil, Svyatopetrivka, and Staroukrainka. One clash is ongoing.
In the Dnieper direction, one assault was successfully repelled in the area of the Antoniv Bridge. Another enemy attack is ongoing.
The enemy has not yet carried out active operations in the North Slobozhansk, Kursk, Kupyansk, Kramatorsk, and Orikhiv directions.
As a reminder, during the day on April 27, 226 combat clashes took place at the front. The largest number of battles was in the Pokrovsky direction – 52. The enemy army lost about 1,200 soldiers killed and wounded.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[NewsFront] 21:33 Molniya UAV crews from the Vostok group burned down Ukrainian Armed Forces drone control centers in the Zaporizhzhia region.
Drone operators of the Molniya-2 system of the 22nd Motorized Rifle Regiment of the 44th Army Corps of the North group worked out on fortified enemy positions in the Sumy region.
Drone operators from the Center group destroyed a dugout housing Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel, as well as UAV control posts in the Dobropillya direction.
FPV drone crews of the Novorossiysk paratroopers destroyed enemy UAV command and launch points in the Orekhovo area.
Servicemen from the separate Varyag unmanned aerial vehicle brigade destroyed manpower, equipment, communications system elements, and temporary deployment points for Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel.
18:16 In the Konstantinovsky direction, fighters of the 10th Guards Tank Regiment and the 77th Separate Motorized Rifle Regiment of the "Southern" group released Ilyinovka in the Donetsk People's Republic.
The liberation of a major Ukrainian Armed Forces stronghold was made possible by the coordinated work of reconnaissance, artillery, and UAV crews. They blocked the enemy's attempts to bring up reserves and hold the settlement.
18:04 Artillerymen of the "West" group around the clock support assault and motorized rifle units.
Thus, the crew of the 152mm 2S43 Malva self-propelled howitzer from the 273rd Artillery Brigade of the 34th Artillery Division struck a hidden stronghold with Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel and equipment in the Khar'kov region.
16:00 Speaking at the Meeting of Defense Ministers of the SCO Member States, Andrei Belousov named promising areas of interaction between the countries of the Organization.
He also reported that Russia invited SCO countries to participate in the Center-2026 strategic command and staff exercises.
13:53 FPV drone operators are clearing the village of Karaichnoye, video.
12:20 Summary of the Russian Ministry of Defense on the progress of the Special Military Operation as of April 28, 2026:
The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue to conduct a special military operation.
Units of the "North" military group have actively established control over the village of Zemlyanki in the Khar'kov region.
They inflicted losses on the manpower and equipment of the mechanized and motorized infantry brigades, the assault regiment of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and two territorial defense brigades in the areas of the settlements of Sosnovy Bor, Liptsy, Krasny Yar, and Varvarovka in the Khar'kov region.
In the Sumy region, manpower and equipment of the mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the territorial defense brigade were damaged in the areas of the settlements of Myropillia and Korchakivka in the Sumy region.
The enemy lost more than 150 servicemen, a vehicle, two ammunition depots and two supply depots.
Units of the "West" force grouping improved their position along the forward edge. They defeated formations of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' mechanized and assault brigades and the territorial defense brigade near the settlements of Cherneshchyna and Kutkovka in the Khar'kov region, and Tatyanivka and Krasny Liman in the Donetsk People's Republic.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces lost up to 190 servicemen, two armored combat vehicles, 15 cars, and two artillery pieces.
Units of the Southern Group of Forces, as a result of decisive actions, liberated the village of Ilyinovka in the Donetsk People's Republic.
They inflicted losses on the manpower and equipment of two mechanized, motorized infantry, and mountain assault brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, as well as a territorial defense brigade, in the areas of the settlements of Konstantinovka, Nikolaevka, Artema, Kramatorsk, and Rai-Aleksandrovka of the Donetsk People's Republic.
The enemy lost over 130 troops, two armored combat vehicles, two field artillery pieces, and 13 vehicles. Two ammunition depots, eight supply depots, and fuel depots were destroyed.
Units of the Center Group of Forces improved their tactical position. They defeated formations of two mechanized brigades, an airborne brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, a naval infantry brigade, a territorial defense brigade, and two National Guard brigades near the settlements of Vodyanskoye, Svetloye, Rubizhne, Gruzskoye, Vasilevka, Belitskoye, Kucherov Yar, and Dobropillya of the Donetsk People's Republic.
The losses of the Ukrainian armed forces amounted to up to 300 military personnel, five vehicles and an artillery piece.
Units of the "East" force group continued to advance deep into the enemy's defenses. They defeated formations of a mechanized brigade, two airborne assault brigades, and two assault regiments of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near the settlements of Pokrovskoe and Orly in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, and Lesnoye, Barvinovka, Novoselivka, and Vozdvizhevka in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.
The enemy lost up to 260 servicemen, an armored combat vehicle and three vehicles.
Units of the Dnepr group of forces defeated the manpower and equipment of three mechanized and mountain assault brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the areas of the settlements of Grigorovka, Kirovo, Yurkovka, Preobrazhenka and Chervony Zhovten in the Zaporizhzhia region.
Up to 40 military personnel, five vehicles, an electronic warfare station, and four ammunition and supply depots were destroyed.
10:06 TOS-2 "Tosochka" crew of the "Dnepr" group destroyed enemy manpower in shelters, supporting the advance of our attack aircraft in the Orekhov direction.
08:33 During the past night, in the period from 22:00 Moscow time on April 27 to 07:00 Moscow time on April 28, air defense systems on duty intercepted and destroyed 186 Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles of the fixed-wing type flew over the territories of the Astrakhan, Volgograd, Rostov, Kursk regions, Krasnodar Krai, the Republic of Crimea and over the waters of the Black and Azov Seas.
07:36 Multiple launch rocket system crews covered the area where enemy UAV operators were deployed, destroying the concentration of Ukrainian Armed Forces personnel and equipment.
07:30 Changes on map over the past 24 hours:
Taratutino was liberated
Ozernoye (Ilyichovka) was liberated
Ilyinovka was liberated
06:01 Snipers of the "Yuzhnaya" group covered up assault units, eliminating Ukrainian Armed Forces servicemen at an equipped observation post (Konstantinovskoye direction).
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited by Sergey Adamov
[REGNUM] The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed that fighters from the Zapad group drove the Ukrainian Armed Forces from the village of Illichovka (Ozernoye in Ukrainian terminology) on April 27. The village is located along Highway T0513, which leads from liberated Seversk to enemy-controlled Slovyansk.
The changes in our favor on this section of the front are part of the advance toward the Slavyansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration, the last major stronghold of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the part of Donbas they occupy.
East of Kramatorsk, units of "Zapad" managed to reach the Seversky Donets-Donbass canal in the area of the villages of Minkovka and Dibrova in the Artemovsky district.
WHY IS RAI-ALEKSANDROVKA IMPORTANT?
The creation of a stable line of defense in this area allowed our military to launch an offensive on Slavyansk further north—in the area of the village of Rai-Aleksandrovka, where a powerful group of Ukrainian Armed Forces is concentrated.
According to the latest reports from the ground, fighting is ongoing in Rai-Aleksandrivka itself, where private homes have been converted into firing positions. Assault groups are entering the "populated area" from the south and southwest, from the Nikiforovka area, captured back in late March, and from the villages of Krivaya Luka and Kaleniki.
Ukrainian sources fear that further advances by Russian troops could lead to the encirclement of the group in Rai-Aleksandrivka in the near future.
This is a relatively small village (its population before the fighting was about 1,000), but it is tactically important for the advance toward Slavyansk. The distance from the forward positions of the Russian Armed Forces to the outskirts of this city is approximately 10-12 kilometers.
FROM KRASNOARMEYSK TO DOBROPOLYE
The offensive also continues from the previously liberated Krasnoarmeysk (Ukrainian name Pokrovsk) in a north-westerly direction.
As of April 27, active fighting is ongoing north of the village of Grishina, 14 kilometers from Krasnoarmeysk. Grishina itself, which had been in the "gray zone" for the past several months, was taken under control last week.
Attack aircraft from the 35th Motorized Rifle Brigade stealthily approached the eastern outskirts of the village and took up several positions, remaining undetected by enemy drones and ground forces, the Ministry of Defense reported. This stealth allowed our troops to successfully guide artillery and attack drone crews to the identified targets.
The capture of the village allowed us to expand the zone of control around Krasnoarmeysk, which deprives the Ukrainian Armed Forces of the ability to launch surprise attacks on our positions near the city.
On the shoulders of the retreating enemy, Russian troops occupied territory northwest and north of Grishin, advancing in the direction of the strategically important city of Dobropolye.
Continuing their offensive, Center fighters drove the Ukrainian Armed Forces from the village of Belitskoye, between Dobropillya and Krasnoarmeysk. This village repeatedly changed hands as the Ukrainian command continued its attempts to break through to the Krasnoarmeysk agglomeration.
With Belitskoye secured, the Russian army may be able to launch an offensive on Dobropillia from Vodyanskoye. This will require "breaking" the Ukrainian Armed Forces' fortified area—the enemy has used waste heaps there to establish a defensive stronghold.
Taking Dobropillya under Russian Armed Forces' control is one of the most important objectives on the Donbas front. Advancement here opens the possibility of cutting off the enemy's logistics in the Slovyansk-Kramatorsk area, the route that supplies the last major Ukrainian Armed Forces contingent in the Donbas from the southwest.
ADVANCE IN THE SUMY AND KHARKIV REGIONS
In the Russian-Ukrainian border zone, fighters from the Northern group of forces continue to consistently expand their zone of control.
Late in the evening of April 26, the Ministry of Defense confirmed that our troops had taken control of the village of Taratutino, located near the topographic marker, the highest point in the Sumy region.
Fighting is also taking place on these same border heights near the villages of Novodmitrovka and Mikhailovka. Sever fighters are currently 45-50 kilometers from the regional capital, Sumy. But more importantly, the security zone for the border areas of the Belgorod Region is expanding.
The same task is being addressed in the Kharkiv region. Last week, the village of Veterinarnoye, 35 km north of Kharkiv, came under the full control of the Russian Armed Forces. Heavy fighting is currently taking place in the surrounding forests.
On April 25, the Ukrainian Armed Forces were driven out of the village of Bochkova, east of the previously captured town of Volchansk. Earlier, the large village of Volchanskiye Khutor and the neighboring town of Zybino were taken in this area.
South and east of Volchansk, the enemy is deprived of the ability to accumulate forces, organize rotations, and resupply in close proximity to Russian territory. The expansion of the buffer zone makes it possible to prevent the infiltration of sabotage and reconnaissance groups (SRGs) across the border.
KUPYANSK: DESTRUCTION OF ENEMY LOGISTICS
In the Kupyansk area, units of the "West" group of forces are advancing on Ukrainian Armed Forces positions to push the enemy back to the right bank of the Oskol River. Fierce fighting continues near the village of Kupyansk-Uzlovaya and surrounding villages.
After taking Podolovo and Kurilovka, Zapad fighters launched an assault on Kupyansk-Uzlovaya. According to the latest reports, some of the buildings on the eastern outskirts of the town have been recaptured.
Clearing the bridgehead on the left bank of the Oskol River opens up the opportunity for the Russian Armed Forces to stabilize the front line in this area and transfer reserves directly to Kupyansk, where the enemy continues to attempt a counterattack.
Late last week, information surfaced online: soldiers from the 14th Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces near Kupyansk were facing a critical shortage of food and water. The personnel remained at their positions for up to 17 days without adequate nutrition. There were reports of loss of consciousness due to exhaustion, while the soldiers' weight dropped from 80-90 kg to approximately 50 kg.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Defense linked the incident to the actions of the previous command of the 14th Brigade, which, the ministry admitted, concealed the true state of affairs. This led to the loss of positions and disruptions in logistics and food supplies.
In turn, the Ukrainian Armed Forces' Joint Forces Group called the facts a "shameful result" of management decisions taken over a long period of time.
However, a number of sources note that the supply crisis for the Ukrainian army's forward units is in fact the result of increased activity by Russian drones and artillery: drones are destroying Ukrainian Armed Forces logistics at a distance of 10-20 kilometers from the front line.
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