On the Lyman direction, Russian forces attempt to break into the city
On the Lyman direction, Russian troops are attempting both to bypass Ukrainian positions and to penetrate the city directly. The situation is complicated by large “gray zones” and active drone use, reported Viktor Trehubov, head of communications for the Joint Forces Group, on air.
“The Russian army continues attempts to infiltrate Lyman while simultaneously trying to bypass Ukrainian positions around the city,” Trehubov said.
According to him, both sides face serious logistical challenges due to the large areas of “gray zones” and the active use of UAVs. “Any logistical operation is a separate difficulty,” added the JFG representative.
The enemy is particularly focused on advancing from the northern flank toward the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk agglomeration, which keeps this section of the front constantly tense. At the same time, Ukrainian units are inflicting significant losses on the Russians and decisively repelling attacks.
Total combat losses of Russian forces since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine — from February 24, 2022, to January 4, 2026 — are approximately 1,211,530 personnel, including about 900 over the past day.
As of 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 3, 2026, 104 combat engagements had occurred along the entire front line, while Russian forces continued intensive shelling of border regions and positions of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.
In the Pokrovsk direction, Ukrainian defenders repelled 46 attacks by Russian occupiers and eliminated over 200 enemy troops on January 2. Fighting continues in the areas of Pokrovsk and Myrnohrad, where Ukrainian units control key positions and destroy enemy equipment.
The situation for occupation force units operating directly within the city of Kupiansk as of early January 2026 is critical.
