A stretch of the front that had been relatively quiet became a new pressure point for Russia — but the push fell short, according to Ukrainian officials.
Ukraine’s Defense Forces say they foiled an attempted assault on the border village of Sotnytskyi Kozachok in the Kharkiv region, where Russian troops had covertly massed significant infantry. The attack was halted by the Strix unmanned systems unit of Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service and the Ukrainian Armed Forces’ 22nd Mechanized Brigade.
Russian forces tried to resume assault operations in northern Kharkiv region, pulling infantry into the ruins of Sotnytskyi Kozachok, officials said. A joint operation by border guards and the STAR unmanned systems battalion of the 22nd Mechanized Brigade destroyed the Russian assault group, according to the units involved.
Video recorded by FPV drones and published by the unit shows Russian infantry being struck. “Thanks to the steel infantry that stands firmer than concrete. The work goes on; more to come,” the border guards said.
On December 19, the Kharkiv regional outlet MediaPort, citing Viktor Kovalenko, head of the Zolochiv settlement military administration, reported that clashes in Sotnytskyi Kozachok had been ongoing for several consecutive days. Russian forces are trying to break through and capture frontline settlements, but Ukrainian troops are holding the defensive line, Kovalenko said.
The DeepState project reported that as of December 21, 2025, the situation around Sotnytskyi Kozachok remains tense. Previously, this sector was notably less active than the main axes of Russia’s offensive.
