Russia continues unsuccessful attempts to advance in Sumy region and infiltrate Kupiansk – ISW
Russian troops continued offensive operations in the Sumy region on Sunday, May 31, but made no confirmed progress, and are also trying to push Ukrainian troops away from the international border in the Kharkiv region to create a defensive buffer zone with the Belgorod region and bring Kharkiv city within artillery range, the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reports.
"Russian troops recently conducted an infiltration mission in the Kupiansk direction. Geolocated footage published on May 30 shows Ukrainian troops striking Russian positions in the northern part of Kupiansk following a Russian infiltration operation… Only isolated Russian groups remain in Kupiansk at Lyceum No. 7 and at the canning factory, but Russian troops do not have stable control over these areas. Russian troops continue to try to advance and consolidate positions in the Kupiansk direction," the ISW report said.
In addition, it is reported that Russian troops continue infiltration missions in the Kharkiv direction, in particular, in the area of Vovchanski Khutory and other settlements northeast of Kharkiv, but meet resistance from the Ukrainian Defense Forces. "Russian troops are unsuccessfully trying to establish a pontoon crossing in the direction of Vovchansk. A Ukrainian battalion operating in the Kharkiv direction reported on May 31 that Ukrainian troops shot down a Russian truck with a cut-off roof and a trailer, which Russian troops were trying to use as an improvised pontoon," the Institute reports.
On Sunday, Russia conducted limited ground attacks in the direction of Borova to advance to the Oskil River, but the Russian military command cannot allocate sufficient operational reserves for these efforts, as it prioritizes the Kupiansk and Lyman directions.
Furthermore, Russian troops continue to conduct infiltration missions in the Kostiantynivka-Druzhkivka tactical area in the Donetsk region, as well as in the direction of the city of Huliaipole in the Zaporizhia region. "Ukrainian troops strike Russian positions in the northwestern, northern, central, western, and southern parts of Kostiantynivka and in the northern part of Dovha Balka southwest of Kostiantynivka following what ISW assesses were Russian infiltration missions conducted there," the report says.
On Saturday and Sunday, Russian troops continued limited ground attacks in the direction of Dobropillia, Pokrovsk, Novopavlivka, and east of Oleksandrivka in the Donetsk region, as well as southeast, southwest, and west of the city of Orikhiv in the Zaporizhia region, but achieved no confirmed advancement.
