Russia-Ukraine Flash Report for 5-28-22 15:00 PDT - North Kharkiv Counteroffensive
Added 2022-05-28 21:57:41 +0000 UTCIn another region, we're getting a lot of reports of activity we're working on confirming.
1) Strong evidence that Russia-backed militias troops withdrew from Nove and gave up defending the M-20 highway that leads north to Russia. We reported yesterday the forces in the village were at extreme risk of being encircled.
2) Seeing growing agreement in the analyst community that Mali Prokhody is contested, which would also support a withdrawal from Nove due to the encirclement risk.
3) Ukrainian forces have pushed to the southern edge of Hoptivka, which was a Luhansk People's Republic stronghold and where militia troops looking to retreat into Russia had gathered. It is the last settlement to the Russian border crossing at Nekhoteyevka. If this is accurate, militia forces east of Hoptivka, north of Lyptsi, and west of Pylna have nowhere to go unless Russia will allow them to cross the international border.
ASSESSMENT: Russia-backed troops would likely move west to Kozacha Lopan, which is the last stronghold north of Kharkiv. Severing the M20 Highway where it runs parallel to the Russian border will be very difficult, severing the road that leads west into Kozacha Lopan would be much easier.
3) Reports that Ukrainian forces have regained control of Rubizhne [Kharkiv Oblast].
There is a lot we will need to work on confirming today.
