Russian troops entered the city of Kupiansk but failed to gain a foothold it has been reported, as maps show the latest state of play on the front line in the northeast of Ukraine.
Ukrainian social media project Deep State said Wednesday that two columns of Russian equipment and troops had entered the Kharkiv regional city.
However, the Ukrainian media outlet RBC said Thursday that the Russian troops had been "driven out" according to a translation.
Head of the Kupiansk city military administration, Andriy Besedin, said the Russian force had been "destroyed" after failing to gain a foothold and the city remained under Ukrainian control as of Thursday morning.
These claims have not been independently confirmed amid differing accounts of what is happening on the Kupiansk-Svatove-Kreminna front line and Newsweek has contacted the Russian and Ukrainian defense ministries for comment.
In assessing the operation in the area Deep State said, according to a translation, that in recent months "the contact line has become a mystery to all units."
"The battle formations of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the enemy were simply scattered throughout the forest, rotations were carried out by both sides, and the war in the forest looked 'strange,'" it added next to satellite imagery of the area.
Ukrainian units are maintaining positions in forested areas near the city.
In a Telegram post, pro-Moscow war blogger Military Informant described "a breakthrough of an armored column in Kupiansk" that had been captured in drone footage, most likely resulting from "leaky" Ukrainian defenses.
Russian milbloggers said Wednesday that Russian forces had advanced northwest and south of Kupiansk and were using TOS-2 thermobaric artillery systems to make "corridors" for assault groups.
However, the same Russian sources said Ukrainian troops were stepping up counterattacks near Torske and conducting mechanized assaults southeast of Kupiansk.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian General Staff claimed success on Wednesday saying that its forces had repelled a Russian mechanized attack and managed to destroy all 15 armored vehicles that had been part of Moscow's four-wave assault.
The General Staff also said that some Russian troops were disguised in Ukrainian uniforms, which is a war crime under international law.
In its latest update, the Institute of the Study of War said Wednesday that Russian forces had continued their offensive there with "no confirmed changes" on the battlefield.
Citing a Ukrainian officer, the Washington, D.C., think tank said Russian forces are stepping up mechanized assaults rather than just infantry assaults although bad weather is hampering the use of vehicles.
About the writer
Brendan Cole is a Newsweek Senior News Reporter based in London, UK. His focus is Russia and Ukraine, in particular ... Read more