LUGANSK, November 8. /TASS/. Russian troops advanced in the Kupyansk frontline area in the Kharkov Region, gaining control of a forest belt in the outskirts of Kucherovka and seizing a railway station and a Ukrainian army stronghold in Petropavlovka, military expert Andrey Marochko told TASS on Friday.

"In the Kupyansk direction, Russian forces have considerably expanded the area under their control over the past few days. In their successful advance in the outskirts of Kucherovka, they took over a forest belt previously controlled by Ukrainian armed formations. In Petropavlovka, assault units of the Russian army advanced along Lenin Street and seized an enemy stronghold located at the crossroads," Marochko said.

Russian forces also expanded the liberated area north and south of Kruglyakovka and took over the Skorostnoi railway station, he specified.