Russia is attempting to capture Lyman in order to launch an offensive against Sloviansk and Kramatorsk
Russian troops are attempting to establish control over Lyman in the Donetsk region in order to use the city as a springboard for a further offensive against the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk metropolitan area. At the same time, Ukrainian defenders are preventing the occupiers from gaining a foothold in the town.
According to Tregubov, the main objective of the Russian forces is to capture Lyman itself, not merely to advance near the city.
“The Russians want to enter Lyman and establish a foothold there. Their goal is specifically to take direct control of the town itself. Not just somewhere nearby, but specifically over the town itself, and to use it as a base for further advancing their offensive southward toward the Sloviansk-Kramatorsk metropolitan area. Even a glance at the map makes it clear that this is a necessity for them,” the spokesperson emphasized.
He added that over the past few months, the occupiers have been searching for alternative routes, particularly through Rai-Oleksandrivka; however, without control over Lyman, advancing toward Sloviansk remains too risky for them.
Despite active assaults, Russian troops do not currently control the city.
According to Tregubov, the occupiers have managed to reach only the eastern outskirts of Lyman, but they are unable to establish a foothold directly within the town.
The spokesperson also reported that the situation in the Kupiansk area remains difficult.
He said that Russian troops are attempting to advance on the city from the north via Holubivka, while Ukrainian units are conducting operations to dislodge the enemy from the northern outskirts.
In addition, east of the Oskil River, the occupiers are pressing along the entire line of the Ukrainian bridgehead. The most intense attacks are being recorded through Pishchane in the direction of Kucheriivka and other settlements, with the ultimate goal of reaching Kupiansk-Vuzlovyi from the east.
Separately, Tregubov highlighted the growing capabilities of Ukrainian drone units.
“The Russians still have certain advantages, but there are areas where they face major problems—and they acknowledge this—such as heavy drones, for example, which they have never been able to operate effectively. Overall, the situation is shifting in Ukraine’s favor due to both the quantitative and qualitative growth of Ukrainian drones and drone operators. There are more of them now, they are being used more effectively, and the coordination of their operations has become much better compared to the Russian side,” the spokesperson noted.
According to him, the number of Ukrainian UAV operators, their level of training, and the effectiveness of drone operations have increased significantly, which is gradually shifting the balance of power in Ukraine’s favor.
This was reported by Viktor Tregubov, spokesperson for the Joint Forces Operation.
As a reminder, operators from the 6th Rangers Regiment of the Special Operations Forces captured two Russian servicemen during a fire raid on the positions of Russian occupiers. The unit reported this on August 3, releasing a video of the operation.
As a reminder, soldiers from the 28th Separate Mechanized Brigade captured a Russian soldier in the Kostiantynivka sector. According to the brigade, he had infiltrated Oleksiyevo-Druzhkivka to film a propaganda video featuring a Russian flag. However, Ukrainian troops spotted him in time and detained him.
