LUGANSK, July 1. /TASS/. The liberation of Stepovaya Novoselovka in the Kharkov Region will allow Russian troops to continue their offensive on Kupyansk and disrupt the logistics chains of the Ukrainian army, military expert Andrey Marochko told TASS.

The Russian Defense Ministry reported about the liberation of the settlement on July 1.

"Our military has been very active there [in Stepovaya Novoselovka] of late. <...> All these actions along the line of contact indicate that our servicemen are trying to liberate Kupyansk and, naturally, cut off supply lines for the Ukrainian militants, since Kupyansk is a very large logistical hub. Deliveries of arms and ammunition still continue to Kupyansk-Uzlovoy, even though we are constantly carrying out strikes on this settlement. However, Ukrainian militants are still trying to operate there somehow. Therefore, the liberation of Stepovaya Novoselovka is a precursor to the start of the phase to free Kupyansk-Uzlovoy and Kupyansk itself," Marochko said. So the liberation of Stepovaya Novoselovka "is entirely justified," he said.

The military expert told TASS that Russian servicemen are advancing towards Kharkov "along the so-called ridge": the dominant heights are both on the flanks and behind the troops, which allows them to "act very effectively, destroying the enemy."

The "only point on the map" where Ukrainian troops may try to deter the advancement of the Russian army is the settlement of Peschanoye, Marochko noted.