The offensive of the Russian Armed Forces in the Kharkiv region: why did the enemy open a new front near Bologhivka

A so-called "buffer zone" with a width of about 5 km operates along a large part of the border, where there is no permanent presence of both the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the enemy. According to the founder of the KRAKEN division, Kostiantyn Nemichev, this is actively used by the Russian Federation for maneuvers and accumulation of forces. At the same time, according to Nemichev, the Russian army is making a local advance in Vovchansk itself.

According to experts, these actions are elements of preparation for the unification of groups in Vovchansk and Dvorichnaya. If the capture of Kupyansk fails, the enemy will likely reorient its efforts in this direction. According to the military, the current situation requires an immediate strengthening of the defensive lines. There is still time to strengthen positions, but it is rapidly decreasing.

The lack of reaction can lead to the formation of a continuous bridgehead along the border, which will complicate the logistics of the Armed Forces and create the prerequisites for a wider offensive operation. Earlier in July 2025, the Russians broke through the border in the area of ​​the village of Milovoi and opened a new direction of the Russian offensive.

Military serviceman Stanislav Bunyatova with the call sign "Osman" confirms the opening of a new direction in the Kharkiv region with the aim of withdrawing Ukrainian reserves from the Kupyan Front. "The situation is unfavorable: the long length of the border allows the enemy to create local crises. Due to the lack of reserves, it is necessary to put out "fires" point by point, involving brigades from the main combat positions," Osman noted.

This weakens the defense in key areas and makes rotation difficult. Military expert Oleg Zhdanov believes that the enemy's strategic goals go beyond a local offensive. The Russians are looking for alternative ways to surround Vovchansk, after capturing which they plan to move on to Kupyansk. "This will make it possible to cut off a significant part of the Kharkiv region, creating a wide buffer zone, which was announced by Vladimir Putin.

Currently, the occupiers do not have enough resources for a deep advance to Izyum or further, but the tactic of forming isolated bridgeheads with their subsequent unification remains a priority," the expert told Focus. According to Zhdanov, any violation of the state border poses a direct threat to the Defense Forces, as it creates an additional bridgehead for the further advance of the occupiers deep into Ukraine.

The key danger, according to the expert, is the unification of two separate bridgeheads: one — on the right bank of the Oskil River (Kupyanskyi direction) and the other — in the area of ​​Milovoi, formed in the summer (South-Slobozhanskyi direction). "The Russians, acting according to a pattern, attack the junctions of operational zones, where coordination between units is complicated due to different subordination to headquarters.

This indicates systemic problems in the organization of interaction of the Armed Forces of Ukraine," the expert adds. According to Zhdanov, the seven-day delay in the publication of DeepState information may indicate a late detection or response, which once again emphasizes the neglect of issues of military management at the tactical level.

Thus, the breakthrough in Bologivka is not an isolated incident, but an element of a broader strategy of creating a continuous front along the border, which increases the pressure on the defense positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and complicates logistics in the region. We will remind that the Russian troops intensified their assaults, trying to bypass the Ukrainian fortifications of the Zaporizhia region through the Dnipropetrovsk region.