Fierce fighting is currently ongoing around the Ukrainian town of Vovchansk as Ukrainian troops are working to isolate Russian units that have crossed the nearby border. The combat is particularly intense at an aggregate plant located on the northern edge of Vovchansk, as reported by military bloggers from both sides of the conflict.
According to Ukrainian squad commander Stanislav Buniatov, known as Osman, the situation in Vovchansk, east of Kharkiv and near the state border, is described as 'difficult but controlled.' Buniatov mentioned that Russian troops are currently 'surrounded,' with Ukrainian forces successfully holding their positions, conducting occasional assaults, liberating territory, and pushing the enemy back.
Russian forces began crossing the border in significant numbers last month in a multi-pronged assault, with the aim of creating a buffer zone to protect Russian cities like Belgorod from potential Ukrainian strikes. Initially capturing villages near the border, the Russian troops advanced to the outskirts of Vovchansk, a town that was retaken by Ukrainian forces in September 2022 after being under Russian occupation for several months.
Reports from the Ukrainian monitoring group DeepState indicate that small groups of Russian soldiers have made repeated attempts to secure the aggregate plant but have been consistently repelled by Ukrainian forces. DeepState also noted that resupplying the Russian soldiers has become challenging, with food and water being delivered to them via drones. Geolocated videos show Ukrainian drones targeting the plant in recent days.
On the other hand, Russian military blogger WarGonzo mentioned on Telegram that the fighting in the area is fierce, with Ukrainian troops launching counterattacks to dislodge the Russian Armed Forces from their occupied positions. However, there was no mention of troops being surrounded in WarGonzo's report.
In a statement released on Sunday, the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that their troops have improved the situation along the front line and have defeated Ukrainian troops in the areas of Vovchansk, Synelnykove, and Vovchanski Khutory in the Kharkiv region. Meanwhile, Ukraine's Ministry of Defense declined to provide further information in response to requests for comment.
