Brief Frontline Report – July 10th, 2025
Report by Marat Khairullin and Mikhail Popov.
After active operations by Russian Armed Forces in the immediate vicinity of Kupyansk, the enemy was forced to urgently reinforce this sector. On the left flank, all Ukrainian forces are concentrated on containing Russian Army activity along the entire line north of Kupyansk and in the Melovoye-Topoli border area (not on the map, it's to the northeast).
Units from the Borovaya sector (right flank of the Kupyansk axis) appear to have been redeployed to the Kupyansk area. Immediately after this rotation, our assault groups intensified operations in the Zeleny Gai (Zeleny Hayi on the map) - Borovskaya Andreevka and Lipovoe - Zelenaya Dolina - Srednee sectors.
Unconfirmed reports indicate clearing operations have begun in Zelenaya Dolina village, with offensive actions developing toward Srednee (crossings over the Nitrius River).
The village of Shandrigolovo (Shandryholovo on the map) – a critical Ukrainian logistics hub on the Kupyansk axis' right flank – is now under threat. By advancing here, Russian forces could isolate the Limansky sector from Ukraine's overall defensive line in this direction.
Once again, we see the "Trishkin's caftan" scenario play out – Ukrainian forces patch one hole in their defenses, only for new ones to tear open elsewhere...
Translation Note: When Russian is written by hand, the "г" (when typed) looks like a backward "S," and the "и" looks like our "u." Also, the typed Russian "т" looks like a western "m" when it is written by hand. Lastly, the "д" turns into something that looks like a "d." Hopefully, this helps if some of the symbols seem unfamiliar to you!
"Trishkin's caftan" is a vivid Russian idiom originating from Ivan Krylov's 1815 fable of the same name. It perfectly encapsulates the Ukrainian military's current defensive dilemma through its allegorical meaning:
The Fable's Lesson:
In the story, the impoverished Trishka tries to repair his tattered caftan (traditional long coat) by cutting material from the sleeves to patch the elbows, then from the hem to fix the sleeves, creating a never-ending cycle of makeshift repairs that ultimately ruin the garment.
Thank you
Ukrainian whac-a-mole although it is consistently they who get the worst of the whacking.