Ukrainian forces have denied claims by the Russian Defense Ministry that Moscow has captured the Serebryanskoye forestry in Luhansk region - an area that has been the scene of fierce fighting for months.
"The Serebryanskoye forest area has not been captured. Ukrainian defense forces are bravely holding the line there," Lieutenant Colonel Oleksiy Belsky, spokesman for the Dnipro Operational-Strategic Group, told the BBC Ukrainian Service. He said the situation remained "extremely difficult".
According to Russian military observers, the offensive in the area has a tactical goal - to advance towards the village of Yampol, located between the Ukrainian-controlled cities of Seversk and Liman. Taking Yampol would isolate both cities and create new pressure on Ukrainian defenses.
More broadly, the operation is part of an ongoing Russian effort to advance towards the key industrial center of Slavyansk-Kramatorsk, which has remained a strategic target for Moscow since the spring of 2022. The distance between Yampol and Slavyansk is about 20 kilometers, but Russian forces must overcome a serious obstacle - the fast-flowing Seversky Donets River.
Progress in the wooded area has been slow. Over the past month, Russian troops have managed to advance approximately 10 kilometers, according to a BBC analysis. However, Moscow continues its offensive towards Seversk and Liman from other directions, increasing the pressure on the front.