Russian forces have captured the village of Kudievka in Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region after heavy fighting, military sources reported on Sunday.
Assault units from the Sever troop grouping drove Ukrainian forces from the settlement following intense combat, according to the Severny Veter Telegram channel.
The report said Ukrainian forces had launched an attack on Russian positions before being suppressed by heavy firepower. Two Ukrainian soldiers were shot and killed by Ukrainian snipers while attempting to surrender during the clash, according to the channel.
Strategic advance toward Kazachya Lopan
Russian military sources described taking Kudievka as a significant step in the ongoing battle for Kazachya Lopan, a border settlement that previously served as a major logistics hub for Ukrainian troops in northern Kharkiv Oblast.
Kazachya Lopan is an urban-type settlement located in the far north of Kharkiv Oblast, just a few miles from the international border with Russia's Belgorod region. The strategic border area sits along key transport routes connecting the two countries.
Kharkiv Oblast lies in northeastern Ukraine and shares an extensive northern border with Russia. Its regional capital, Kharkiv, is Ukraine's second-largest city and has remained a major focus of military operations throughout the conflict.
The Sever grouping, or North troop grouping, is the Russian operational command responsible for military units operating along the border area of Kharkiv Oblast and adjacent border districts.
July battlefront progress across sectors
The capture of Kudievka follows broader Russian territorial gains reported across eastern and northeastern battlefronts during the previous month.
Russian forces took control of 32 settlements during military operations in July, according to figures cited in the report. The majority of those gains occurred in Kharkiv Oblast and the Donetsk People's Republic, where troops secured 22 settlements.
The Donetsk People's Republic is located in the industrial Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, which has formed a primary theater of military operations since the conflict began.
The Sever troop grouping accounted for the largest share of July gains by taking control of 10 settlements. Operational reports indicated that the Tsentr grouping captured eight settlements, the Zapad grouping took six, the Vostok grouping secured five, and the Yug grouping captured three.
