Lyman Pershyi, Kharkiv Oblast

Lyman Pershyi (Лиман Перший, Лиман Первый) is a village in Kupiansk Raion, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine. During the first days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the village was captured by Russian forces in their initial advance into the nation. The village for a short time returned to Ukrainian control after their successful 2022 Ukrainian eastern counteroffensive in September, but a localized Russian offensive recaptured the village on 16 February 2023.

Since then, the village has been used as a staging ground for Russian offensives on the village of Synkivka to the south, as part of the larger effort to recapture the city of Kupiansk. Since August 2023, Russian assaults have more significantly picked up in quantity, but Ukrainian counterattacks have held off Russian forces from achieving their objective.

Geography
The village is located on the left banks of the Oskil river 2 km away and Vilshana (river) 1 km. It is surrounded by a pine forest and several lakes, including Lake Vykline and Lake Karichkivskyi Liman. The Movchanove station is the closest railway station to the village, connecting it to the larger rail lines nearby.

History
According to the 2001 Ukrainian census, the village had a population of 280 people.

On 12 June 2020; Decree No. 725-r of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine placed the village in the administration of Dvorichna settlement hromada, and on 17 July it became part of the Kupiansk Raion as a result of administrative-territorial reform which abolished Dvorichna Raion.

Russian invasion of Ukraine
At the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Lyman Pershyi was occupied by Russian troops in their initial advance into Ukraine in February 2022. The village was retaken during the successful 2022 Kharkiv counteroffensive sometime between 27 September and 1 October by Ukraine, in which Ukrainian forces made a bridgehead past the Oskil river north of the village to as far as Tavilzhanka, and moved south. This advance would be supported by a report by the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, which claimed they had held back a Russian assault on the village on 25 December.

Ukrainian control did not last long, however, as a localized Russian offensive on 16 February 2023 resulted in the village returning to Russian control. The outskirts of the village likely remained contested for the next few months as artillery and mortar strikes by Russian and Ukrainian forces reportedly took place on the village on through the end of February, in March, April,  May,  and June.

In July, Russian forces gained greater control of the village's outskirts after reportedly capturing Movchanove station on the 19th, which was supported by another report on the 21st claiming the same thing. As part of a larger effort to recapture the city of Kupiansk: Russia used their stronger position in the village to begin attacking south towards Synkivka, but were stalled from making any serious by assaults on the village because of Ukrainian counterattacks until early August.

Since August 2023, Russian forces have continued efforts to capture positions around, mainly south, of the settlement: with significant assaults being made in October, November,  and December,  while Ukrainian counterattacks slow the offensive. In terms of specific units involved: elements of the Russian 25th and 138th Separate Guards Motor Rifle Brigades were involved in attacks from the village, at least in November.