Kiev suspects Moscow obtained intelligence on the minefields they had laid in Kharkiv. Meanwhile, a Ukrainian commander laments Russian guided bombs and orders a retreat to save soldiers’ lives.
Russian Forces Advance Unhindered Through Minefields in Kharkiv
“During the cross-border attack, it seems that the enemy knew which way was free of minefields,” Denys Yaroslavskyi, commander of a Ukrainian reconnaissance unit, expressed his suspicions in an interview with Kyiv 24.
“I witnessed with my own eyes the Russian forces crossing our border on May 10. I saw them driving through the barbed wire fences, and not a single car or person stepped on a mine. I have two questions: First, were there no minefields laid? Second, did they know where there were no minefields and the Security Service must answer that question,” the officer said.
The Ukrainian military said they could not comment on the first line of defense in the northern Kharkiv region, as it had now fallen.
“But I will tell you, we must pay attention to whether there are people in Ukraine who are colluding with the Russians? The Ukrainian Security Service has arrested 28 suspects from various branches of the military. After decades of chaos, there are many pro-Russian people in Ukraine and some of them have ‘climbed high and deep’ into Ukraine’s important agencies,” the intelligence chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said.
The State Investigation Agency of Ukraine has begun pre-trial investigations into violations of the state border in the Kharkiv region, including the level of supplies and staffing of Ukrainian units, the construction of fortifications, the coordination between units, and the regional defense operation plan…
Ukrainian Commander: We Must Retreat to Save Lives
Kharkiv is not a “free-for-all” battle because Moscow forces are now capable of opening new lines of attack.
In addition to the need to create a strategic buffer zone for Russia’s Belgorod region, deterring attacks on Kharkiv and Sumy has also created more gaps in the western front of Bakhmut, Avdiivka, and Marinka, as well as the southern front of Ukraine.
Russia’s goal is to provoke a complete collapse of the Ukrainian military’s defense system. In fact, Moscow forces are increasing their offensive power in Kharkiv and alternating surprise attacks on various fronts in the east and south.
Russian battlefield information confirms that the 138th Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade of the 6th Army of the Leningrad Military District has been officially upgraded to the 69th Guards Motorized Rifle Division, including the 15th Tank Regiment, the 82nd and 83rd Motorized Rifle Regiments, and the 60th Artillery Brigade. This is also the fourth Russian brigade to be upgraded from a brigade to a division.
The Kharkiv front has been fully reinforced by the Russian General Staff, especially with the support of tactical air forces and long-range artillery fire, and Moscow forces are launching methodical attacks.
The consecutive losses of Kiev forces in Volchansk and Lyptsi on the two main axes of the Russian offensive have put pressure on the Ukrainian army from both domestic and foreign public opinion. Therefore, they must find someone to blame for this incident.
Recently, the Ukrainian military has ordered an investigation into 28 Kharkiv front commanders, believing they ordered the withdrawal from hundreds of square kilometers of defensive territory without any resistance during the first Russian offensive on May 10.
As a result, the defense system in the direction of Volchansk, Liptsy, and south of Kupyansk collapsed immediately. However, a Ukrainian frontline commander told Western media that “we had no choice but to retreat.”
Ukrainian battalion commander Captain Yury Fedorenko told the New York Times that the battlefield situation is becoming very serious because Kiev forces cannot repel the Russian offensive.
He said: “They are advancing step by step and taking one position after another… In places where our defense lines were very strong, the Russians used guided bombs and directly leveled them.”
Finally, Fedorenko added that the Russian artillery bombardment was so intense that the Ukrainian defense forces had no choice but to retreat. The enemy’s overwhelming firepower is certainly not a reason to retreat, but sacrificing their soldiers unnecessarily is a crime.
Currently, Ukrainian troops on the eastern and northern battlefields have no air cover, no air defense weapons to intercept Russian missiles and aircraft, and no artillery shells to counterattack. If they rely only on fortifications, positions, or buildings for defense, the casualty rate will certainly be very high.
For the Ukrainian military now, although they are mainly on the defensive, the country’s soldiers say they cannot stand guard for a long time, but instead, must carry out attacks to cause maximum damage to the Russians, while avoiding protracted battles that could cause heavy casualties.
