By Rostyslav Averchuk
Kharkiv, Ukraine (EFE).- Ukrainian forces have halted Russia’s attempts to expand its control in the Sumy region, launching counterattacks near the recently recaptured village of Andriivka. However, fierce battles continue in Donetsk and Kharkiv, where Russia seeks to encircle Pokrovsk and advance toward the Dnipropetrovsk region, while also pressing attacks near Kupiansk.
In Sumy, Ukrainian troops are trying to retake part of the around 77 square miles occupied by Russia during four months of offensive. But pressure is mounting elsewhere.
Russian forces are carrying out dozens of assaults daily around Pokrovsk and claim to have taken the village of Shevchenko, home to a strategic lithium deposit.
While Ukraine has not officially confirmed the loss, battlefield maps from the Deep State platform suggest Russia controls about 80% of the area.
Strategic resources and supply lines at risk
The lithium deposit near Shevchenko is estimated to contain 1.2 million tons of ore with a lithium content above 1.5%.
Its loss could jeopardize a recent United States-Ukraine agreement on joint resource development.
However, developing the site would require peace and substantial investment, said Volodymyr Landa from Ukraine’s Center for Economic Strategies.
Instead of a direct assault on Pokrovsk, Russia is attempting to encircle the city and enter neighboring Dnipropetrovsk to disrupt key Ukrainian supply lines, according to military analyst Oleksandr Kovalenko of the Information Resistance Group.
Though Ukrainian troops have repelled recent advances, Russian forces remain just miles away from Dnipropetrovsk. Clashes continue on multiple fronts.
Drone warfare and civilian risks
Russia continues to rely on relentless infantry assaults, sometimes deploying soldiers on motorcycles.
“From drones, we see them stepping over dozens of their comrades’ corpses,” said Oleg Kadanov from the Ukrainian drone group “Peaky Blinders” in an interview with EFE.
“We eliminate group after group, but they keep coming,” he added, describing the battlefield near Pokrovsk as “apocalyptic.”
Large-scale attacks involving armored vehicles are rare due to Ukraine’s successful drone defenses. Several such assaults were repelled this week near Kupiansk, a critical railway hub in eastern Kharkiv, according to Yuri Fedorenko, commander of the “Achilles” regiment.
However, Russia’s use of fiber-optic-guided drones, resistant to radio jamming, has made evacuations in Kupiansk increasingly dangerous. More than 1,400 civilians remain in the area.
Russian drone teams are also targeting Ukrainian logistics units, turning the 6–9 miles zone beyond the front line into a “death zone,” said Volodymyr, a volunteer-based in Kharkiv who supplies equipment to frontline units.
Ukrainian forces are now hunting Russian drone teams in response, part of a strategy shift aimed at regaining control of the skies.
Defenses strengthen ahead of July offensive
Facing criticism for previous shortcomings, Ukraine is accelerating the construction of fortifications in its eastern regions.
EFE observed a new defensive line in Kharkiv, featuring barbed wire, anti-tank ditches, and concrete barriers known as “dragon’s teeth.”
Ukraine aims to exhaust Russian troops and inflict heavy losses, Kovalenko said.
Despite limited territorial gains, Russia has yet to achieve key objectives, including capturing Pokrovsk, Toretsk, or Chasiv Yar.
Still, Kovalenko warns that Russia’s summer offensive may intensify in July, alongside increased aerial strikes on Ukrainian cities.
Yet morale remains high among Ukrainian soldiers, many of whom were civilians just months ago.
“We know what we’re fighting for,” said Kadanov, a former singer turned drone operator. “We do our best to protect our families. We learn, and we believe we will prevail.” EFE
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