Luhansk Oblast campaign

On the night of 27–28 September 2022, Ukrainian forces crossed the Siverskyi Donets River in Dronivka, stormed the Siverskyi Donets Forest Park, and successfully blocked the critical Kreminna-Torske road.[26] Surviving troops from the BARS-13 detachment and 20th Guards Combined Arms Army, previously based in Lyman where they sustained heavy casualties during the second battle for the town, reestablished themselves in Kreminna.[27]

On 2 October, Ukrainian forces began heavily bombarding Russian positions in Kreminna, advancing as far as the R-66 highway. The following day, Ukrainian troops managed to intersect a segment of the highway between Chervonopopivka and Pishchane, although were pushed back by Russian forces. To counter Ukrainian advances, Russian forces had mined all access roads to Kreminna and Svatove, according to Luhansk Regional Military Administration head Serhiy Haidai.[28] Between 2 and 13 October, Ukrainian troops recaptured 14 towns and villages, including Borova, along the Kharkiv-Luhansk border. Ukrainian forces also advanced towards Chervonopopivka on the Svatove-Kreminna highway, although they were pushed back from their positions by October 5.[29][30][31][32][33][34] Two more villages were recaptured by Ukrainian forces on 24 October.[35]

On October 18, Russia attempted an assault with artillery support on Bilohorivka, Stelmakhivka, Hrekivka, Nadia and Novoiehorivka, but the attack was repulsed. Russian troops continued to shell liberated settlements. According to Serhiy Haidai, on October 18, Ukrainian forces repelled several Russian attacks, including one near recently liberated Bilohorivka.[36][37] Both Russian and Ukrainian media reported on November 9 that fighting continued in the town's neighborhoods and that fierce street fighting continued in the following weeks and months.[38]

During November, there were little territorial changes due to the muddy terrain, although fierce battles raged every day. Much of the Russian defense line in northern Luhansk Oblast became staffed with newly-mobilized Russian reservists throughout the month.

On the night of 2 November, Ukrainian sources claimed to have destroyed an entire Russian battalion near the town of Makiivka, in Svatove Raion. According to a Russian survivor of the attack, out of the 570 soldiers in his unit, 29 survived, 12 were wounded, while the other 529 men had been killed.[39][40] Furthermore, some Russian sources claimed that the unit to which the battalion belonged, the 362nd Motorized Rifle Regiment, lost 2,500 men killed (or over half its strength) in just 12 days at a position near Svatove, and only had 100 men left to man the defense line. The same source also claimed that 300 Russian wounded who attempted to crawl back to their positions were treated as deserters, although neither of these reports could be independently verified at the time.[41] Meanwhile, on 7 November, 21 Russian soldiers from the 346th Motorized Rifle Regiment surrendered en masse to the Ukrainians near Svatove.[42]

On November 16, the commander of BARS-13 (Russian Combat Reserve) stated that Ukrainian forces had launched a counteroffensive near the city of Kreminna and that counteroffensive operations had been extended 12 km south of Kreminna to Bilohorivka. This counteroffensive operation aimed for Ukrainian forces to regain lost territories in Luhansk south of the Donets. Powerful artillery attacks began with precision strikes from HIMARS multi-barrel rocket systems.[43][44] Luhansk Oblast Governor Serhiy Haidai stated on 17 November that fierce fighting was taking place near Bilohorivka.[45] On December 8, Haidai said Russia had deployed more troops near Lysychansk to capture Bilohorivka and described an intensified Russian air offensive.[46]

On 18 November, video emerged of what appeared to be at least ten Russian soldiers surrendering to Ukrainian soldiers in the town of Makiivka, then being killed by the Ukrainians after another Russian suddenly emerges from cover opens fire on the Ukrainians. Ukraine claims that the Russian soldiers had committed an act of intentional perfidy firing at them while surrendering, but the Russians deny this, and claim that "the execution of at least 11 unarmed Russian servicemen" had occurred.[47][48] In early December, Ukrainian forces broke through Russian lines around Chervonopopivka, with fighting mostly centered west of the R-66 highway connecting Kreminna and Svatove.[49][41][50] By early December, Ukraine had advanced to the hills west of Chervonopopivka.[49]

Throughout December, relentless battles occurred along the line, with both Russian and Ukrainian forces launching daily attacks to varying degrees of success.[51] On 18 December, a geolocated video showed Ukrainian forces advancing in the Serebryansky forest south of Kreminna.[52] On 15 January, the Ukrainians reported that a battalion from the Russian 26th Tank Regiment had been reduced to just 30 men and 10 tanks, down from an established strength of 40 T-80BV tanks and 120 tank crewmen.

According to Luhansk Oblast governor Serhiy Haidai, Russian forces constructed "a very powerful defense" in the region by December 2022, and were bringing "huge" quantities of reserves and equipment to renew their forces.[23] By the end of January 2023, Ukraine said its advances along the line had slowed.[53]

After the fall of Soledar, Russian forces continued offensive operations at Bilohorivka on January 16. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that Ukrainian forces repulsed Russian attacks in the vicinity 24 km north of Soledar at Verkhniokamianske, Spirne, Krasnopolivka, Sil and Bilohorivka. Geolocated imagery showed that Russian forces made minor progress north of Bilohorivka.[54][55] In early February 2023, Russian troops increased the number of attacks in the Bilohorivka and Kreminna areas, to identify weak points in the defense of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.[56] Ukrainian forces still maintained a presence in Bilohorivka by 7 February, despite repeated claims from Russian sources that Russia had captured the town.[57] Russian forces made limited advances near Bilohorivka on 23 March,[58] on 12 April,[59] and on 22 May.[60]

On the night between 26–27 January 2023, Russian forces reportedly began preparing for a new offensive west of Kreminna, launching small ground attacks near Dibrova.[61] Clashes broke out along the front line, with Russian forces conducting attacks towards Ukrainian positions in Chervonopopivka, Ploshchanka, Nevske, and west of Kreminna.[62] Much of the fighting and counterattacks between Ploshchanka and Kreminna during this period were conducted by the 144th Guards Motor Rifle Division, according to the ISW.[63]

By 8–9 February, Ukrainian government sources and independent analysts said that a Russian offensive along the Svatove-Kreminna line had begun.[16][64] Luhansk Oblast governor Serhiy Haidai said "there has been a significant increase in attacks and shelling."[64] A main goal of the Russian offensive is to push Ukraine back over the Oskil River which runs through Kupiansk, as well as to make a "buffer zone" for the Luhansk region.[8][65]

However, in the early days of the effort, Russia only made marginal gains in the vicinity of Dvorichne (not to be confused with Dvorichna, a village in the same region).[16][66] Leonid Pasechnik, president of the Russia-controlled Luhansk People's Republic, claimed Ukraine was bringing reinforcements to the area, making the situation "very difficult".[67] A Ukrainian soldier fighting in Kreminna stated Russian ground attacks usually consisted of small groups of around fifteen men.[16] Drone warfare also became prevalent on the front.[68] AP News reported in late February 2023 that "grueling artillery battles" had intensified in the Kupiansk area.[65]

On 24 March, the Ukrainians claimed to have killed or wounded 183 Russian soldiers and to have taken two prisoners in fighting east of Kupiansk and Lyman. They also claimed to have destroyed 10 T-80 and T-90 tanks over the course of the previous week.[69] Furthermore, on 26 March, they claimed that 100 Russian soldiers had been killed and taken to a morgue in Troitske, a town in Svatove Raion. Another 140 seriously injured were taken to hospitals for medical treatment. By 5 April, the Ukrainians claimed to have destroyed another 10 T-90 tanks during the fighting.[70][71]

On 17 April, the Ukrainian General Staff claimed that 14 Russian trucks transporting seriously wounded soldiers back to Russian territory were denied entry and turned back, with some of the men dying as a result. The remaining 50 of them were later taken to Troitske Central District Hospital in Luhansk Oblast.[72]

On 8 May, the Ukrainians claimed to have destroyed two Russian tanks, one a T-80 and the other a T-90, during fighting in Luhansk Oblast. They also claimed to have killed 50 Russian soldiers and wounded another 96.[73] Geolocation images released on 31 May showed that Russian troops made a small advance southeast of Masiutivka.[74]

The Kupiansk City Council building after being bombed by Russian forces on 10 August 2023

Amid the 2023 Ukrainian counteroffensive, in which Russian forces have been in defensive positions along the vast majority of the frontline, the Svatove–Kreminna line has been one of the only places where they are still on attack.[8][75] Between 19–20 June 2023, Russian forces intensified offensive operations on the Svatove-Kreminna line, particularly in the direction of Kupiansk[76] and west of Kreminna.[77] Russian forces made gains in the Kupiansk area on 19 June.[78] Ukrainian forces launched a counterattack on 21 June with the aim of weakening the offensive potential of the Russian effort, with unclear results.[79]

On 14 June, a large concentration of Russian troops from the 20th Army were awaiting a speech from Major General Sukhrab Akhmedov behind the front line in Luhansk Oblast when the gathering was attacked by Ukrainian M142 HIMARS strikes. Reports from both Ukrainian and Russian sources state that 100 Russian troops died, and a further 100 were wounded.[80] On June 20, Ukrainian forces repelled Russian attacks near Spirne.[81] On 22 June, graphic footage showed Ukrainian forces repelling attacks by Russian Storm-Z, 80th Guards Tank Regiment, and Akhmat forces in the Serebrianka forest.[82]

By 11 July, geolocated footage indicated that Russian forces had entered eastern parts of the village of Torske 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) west of Kreminna.[83] On 13 July, a Ukrainian official reported that Russian forces were massing large amounts of forces in the direction of Kupiansk and Lyman, including airborne (VDV) forces, unspecified infantry formations, BARS reserve units, territorial defense elements, and small private military companies.[84] On 16 July, it was reported by Russian sources that Major General Ramil Ibatullin, commander of the 90th Tank Division, was arrested for failing to make significant advances on the Luhansk front.[85]

On July 17, Russian forces further intensified active offensive operations, advancing into the area around Kupiansk. The ISW proposed that Russia's aims with the operation were to take advantage of Ukraine's operational focus on other sectors of the front and draw Ukrainian reserves away from critical theaters like Bakhmut, western Donetsk Oblast and western Zaporizhia Oblast, where Ukrainian forces were conducting counteroffensive operations.[86] Russian forces deployed Storm-Z assault units formed by former members of the Wagner group and other convicts in the direction of Kupiansk.[86] On 17 July, Russian forces tried to carry out a second successful landing across the Oskil River near Masiutivka, taking new positions with the aim of completely breaking the strong Ukrainian defense line. Russian forces also continued limited ground attacks southwest and south of Kreminna, but without much success.[86]

On July 18, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar and Ukrainian Ground Forces Commander Lt. Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky reported that Russian forces continued to transfer reinforcements in the direction of Bakhmut and were concentrating their main forces in the direction of Kupiansk due to Ukrainian advances in the Bakhmut area.[86] On 5 August, Russia claimed to have captured the village of Novoselivske, as Russia launched more attacks in the northeast in an attempt to divert Ukrainian forces from the southern campaign.[87] The capture of the village was confirmed by geolocated footage from the same day.[88] On 10 August, Ukraine ordered a mandatory evacuation of 12,000 civilians from Kupiansk district, citing "the difficult security situation and the increasing amount of shelling by Russian terrorist forces." Ukrainian military spokesperson Hanna Maliar described the situation near Kupiansk and Lyman as a "nightmare".[89]

On 7 September, units of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine entered the settlements of Topoli and Stroivka, raising the Ukrainian flags over the settlements' administrative buildings. The settlements, close to the border with Russia, had been abandoned by Russian forces since the 2022 Kharkiv counteroffensive, but Ukrainian forces where unable to liberate the settlements due to Russian artillery control over the region leaving them in a "grey-zone" as neither side controlled them.[90]

On 3 October, President Zelensky made a visit to the Kupiansk-Lyman front-line to meet with the brigades participating in the defense of that sector.[91][92] Specifically congratulating the 103rd Territorial Defense Brigade, 68th Jaeger Brigade, and the 25th Airborne Brigade.[7][93]