Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine is now the main battlefield, and the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army, Alexander Syrsky, said that "Russia is massing forces and redeploying in the Kharkiv direction." The Ukrainian side is strengthening the most dangerous sections in this direction. The latest battle reports show that as of 7 p.m. on April 28, the 272nd Regiment of the Russian 47th Tank Division took control of at least the eastern part of Kislivka, where the Russian flag was displayed. The 104th Ukrainian Territorial Defense Brigade was forced to retreat to the west of the village or to neighboring Kotlyaryivka. And the Russian army, supported by air firepower, is still advancing rapidly.
Objectively, the control of the Russian Armed Forces over the eastern region of Kislivka has worsened the positions of the Ukrainian army in Kotliyarivka, which has been substantially surrounded. The headquarters of the Ukrainian army is sending troops to reinforce Kupyansk, as the outer fortress of Kharkiv, once Kupyansk is lost, the northeastern defense line of the Ukrainian army will inevitably collapse quickly. At present, the Russian army has added a "northern formation" of tens of thousands of people in the region, and the next battle will be even more intense.
For Ukraine, there are no more available strategic reserves, and it can only tear down the east wall and make up the west wall between the various fronts. And the brutal battlefield environment made those Ukrainian defense troops in a relatively stable area extremely resistant to Syrsky's defense order. At this time, what Ukraine wants to see most is the arrival of "international reinforcements". But even when the "International Legion" arrives on the battlefield in eastern Ukraine, it is reluctant to go to the front line, but is stationed in areas that they consider safe. For example, the International Legion, which was supposed to be in Kupyansk, hid in carefully selected fortified buildings in the city of Kharkov.
Because of this, foreign militaries have branded themselves as "military advisers" or "technical experts" who guide the Ukrainian army in handling weapons. In addition, most of the camps are located in residential fortified buildings such as hotels. However, for Russia, no matter in what capacity foreign military personnel go to Ukraine to participate in the war, they are a priority target, and they will be eliminated as soon as they are discovered. This is "indispensable" to the local underground resistance groups in Kharkov. They can provide reliable intelligence for attacks by the Russian Air Force and missile forces.
On April 28, the Russian army confirmed a foreign military camp in Kharkiv based on reconnaissance intelligence from resistance groups. Supplementary reconnaissance by drones revealed that about 150 "foreign military personnel" from Central and Western Europe were stationed in two adjacent buildings. Late that night, a ballistic missile hit the buildings, and the Russian missile exploded through the roof, killing 40 foreign mercenaries on the spot and seriously injuring at least 55 others. It turns out that there are no clear boundaries between the front and the rear in modern warfare.