Failure at Vovchansk?
Kremlin threatens loss of hundreds of soldiers in encirclement battle
By Alexander Schultze
15.06.2024, 19:13
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The Russian offensive in the Kharkiv region initially got off to a great start, then came to a standstill and could now have disastrous consequences. Reports on social media suggest that hundreds of Russians are surrounded in Vovchansk. Attempts to free themselves have failed for days.
The situation at the front near the city of Kharkiv, which has a population of one million, is unclear. However, there are increasing signs that Ukrainian troops near Vovchansk have not only succeeded in stopping the Russian offensive. They are apparently even capable of inflicting serious damage on the Russian invaders: there is talk of a pocket and surrendering Russian soldiers.
When Russian troops opened another front in north-eastern Ukraine in May, they initially made rapid progress, taking over numerous villages around Kharkiv and advancing into the outskirts of the small town of Vovchansk. They also established themselves in the town, which once had a population of 19,000, and brought street after street under their control. If they were to conquer Vovchansk completely, they would have a good base from which to advance into the surrounding region.
One possible target could be the city of Kharkiv, which gives the region its name. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin played down the idea and claimed that it was not to be conquered. The Kremlin chief explained that they only wanted to create a buffer zone. For a few days now, however, it has looked as if this plan could end in a bloody failure for Moscow.
On Friday, the British Telegraph reported, citing the 3rd Ukrainian Assault Brigade, that 24 Russian soldiers were capturedA video is said to show the men coming out of a trench with their hands raised, surrounded by Ukrainian soldiers. According to the “Kyiv Post”, this is a success of a Ukrainian counter-offensive in Vovchansk. Last week, the Khortytsia regional command announced that 60 soldiers from the Russian offensive troops had been captured within a few days.
According to unconfirmed reports, their situation has now worsened again. Russian military bloggers report that a large group of Russian soldiers has been cut off from the rest of the troops in Vovchansk – and has been for days. They are said to have barricaded themselves on the site of a bombed-out gravel works in the south of the small town. Ukrainian sources on social networks give the number of men as 400. This cannot be verified, However, a Russian journalist is said to have also mentioned.
Russian liberation attempts fail
According to the report, there have been several attempts by Russian soldiers to reunite with the trapped fighters in recent days. However, they are said to have all failed Ukrainian sources claim that the encirclement will eventually force Russian soldiers to surrender if they do not want to die in a massacre.
It is difficult to verify whether the situation is really so hopeless. According to Russian military bloggers, it certainly does not look good. This is partly due to the fact that Ukrainian troops have succeeded in shooting down many of the Russian reconnaissance drones. This has the consequence that that the Russians would have to fight in 2Dwhile the Ukrainians could use the third dimension “air” for attacks, writes a Russian military blogger on Telegram.
Some social media accounts are speculating that the tide on the new front in northeastern Ukraine could be turning because the first ammunition deliveries from Western countries have arrived in the region. One of the reasons why Russian units were able to advance so quickly in the Kharkiv region was because Ukraine lacked both fighters and ammunition, primarily for anti-aircraft defense. Western countries have been trying for months to increase their production capacities and at the same time procure ammunition from all over the world and send it to Ukraine. It has not been confirmed whether the first deliveries have actually arrived and whether they have also gone to the Kharkiv region.