In the north of Kharkiv region, Russian troops crossed the border last week and launched more than three dozen attacks. Currently, the battle is for the city of Vovchansk, which is under constant Russian fire.
Read more about what is happening in and around Vovchansk in the RBC-Ukraine report below.
Sources: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Staff spokesman Dmytro Lykhovii, head of Vovchansk City Military Administration Tamaz Gambarashvili, head of the National Security and Defense Council's Central Intelligence Department Andrii Kovalenko, Deepstate and ISW maps.
Contents
- Fighting for Vovchansk: Situation in city
- Other directions
- Defense lines in Kharkiv region: what is the problem
Fighting for Vovchansk: Situation in city
According to official information from the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the battle for the city of Vovchansk is still ongoing. Russia has deployed significant forces to attack the city, consisting of up to 5 battalions, and is not counting its losses. Russian troops lost more than 100 occupants in this area alone over the last day. Currently, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine states that Russia is tactically successful. Ukraine has planned measures to destroy the Russian troops that have intervened in Ukraine's defense.
According to local authorities, the city is only 4 kilometers from the border with Russia. While on the map, this distance can vary from 6 to 10 km depending on the direction.
Photo: the border with Russia is located near Vovchansk (deepstate)
"Our defenders are conducting defensive actions, inflicting fire damage on the enemy, widely using unmanned systems to conduct reconnaissance and launch targeted strikes to inflict maximum losses. Reserves are being deployed to stabilize the situation. In determining the tasks for the troops, one of the main priorities is to save the lives of our soldiers," the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports.
At the same time, Russian troops continue to shell the city. Thus, yesterday, May 12, a series of massive shelling with various types of weapons damaged private houses. 7 people were injured. The evacuation continues.
In turn, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) believes that the Russian offensive on Vovchansk is largely a consequence of Western policy, according to which Ukrainian forces cannot use systems provided by allies to strike legitimate military targets in Russia. As a result, the Russians were able to form offensive groups near the Ukrainian border with impunity.
Photo: ISW believes that the Russian offensive on Vovchansk is the result of Western policy (understandingwar)
Analysts suggest that Russian troops are trying to encircle Vovchansk as they approach the city through Buhruvatka, Starytsia, and Izbytske to the west on the C-210817 road and through Vovchanski Khutory to the east on the O-210825 road. The ISW adds that the occupation of any of these settlements would cut off these routes to Vovchansk. Russian troops are also increasingly shelling bridges over nearby water bodies to isolate the Ukrainian defense of the city from other areas.
Other directions
In total, from the beginning of the offensive in the Kharkiv direction until Sunday, May 12, Russia carried out 31 attacks. Fighting is underway in the areas of Pylna - Lukiantsi, Pylna - Hlyboke, Pylna - Oliinykove, and Murom - Buhruvatka.
In addition, Russia is conducting assault operations in the areas of Strilecha - Hlyboke, Oliinykove - Hlyboke, Oliinykove - Lukiantsi, Murom - Starytsia, Pletenivka - Tykhe.
Over the day, Russia carried out 22 assault operations in these areas, 14 of which are still ongoing. In general, the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine calls the operational situation in the Kharkiv direction difficult and dynamically changing.
At the same time, DeepState analysts write that Russia has allegedly managed to occupy the villages of Morokhovets, Oliinykove, and Zelene.
Photo: Russians allegedly occupied Morokhovets, Oliinykove, and Zelene (deepstatemap)
Defense lines in Kharkiv region: what is the problem
The head of the National Security and Defense Council's Center for Countering Disinformation, Andrii Kovalenko, refuted the fakes that are spreading in the information space regarding the defense lines in the Kharkiv direction. He notes that it was not possible to build fortifications along the borderline itself, because then those involved in the work would be under heavy Russian fire.
"It is impossible to build defensive lines on the border strip because the equipment and engineers would simply be destroyed by Russia, given the distance to the Russians," Kovalenko says.
Instead, he says, several defense lines have been built in the Kharkiv region and they are reliable.
"The battle for Vovchansk is ongoing, but this is a border area. And we need to distinguish between Russia's actions in the border area and the direction of Kharkiv," says Kovalenko, adding that Russia's goal is to hold the Ukrainian Armed Forces back in this area, to force the command to redeploy some forces from the east.
In addition, the Vovchansk city military administration assures that there were fortifications around the city on the border with Russia, but it was not easy to build them due to constant shelling. According to the head of the Vovchank City Military Administration, Tamaz Gambarashvili, the situation is complicated because the city is very close to the border.
When asked about what was being done before the Russian offensive, the CMA says that perhaps the construction was not so dense.
"Everything was built. But maybe not so densely. After the de-occupation, Vovchansk has been under constant Russian shelling for a year and a half. Both mortars and artillery. That's why I repeat once again: there are 4 kilometers from Vovchansk to the border. It was extremely difficult to build fortifications. But I emphasize once again: that I am grateful to all the builders and military who were based at these facilities. They made every effort to build the fortifications," Gambarashvili adds.
On May 10, Russian troops launched an offensive in the north of Kharkiv region. As a result, Russia may have managed to capture some settlements, while several others are still in the gray zone. As noted by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Russia is having tactical success. The situation is complex and dynamic.
In addition, the commander of the Kharkiv operational and tactical group of troops has been replaced amid the Russian offensive.
Read more about the situation in the Kharkiv region area in RBC-Ukraine's report.