Devendra Kumar
Ukrainian units are locked in fierce street battles with Russian forces in the key north-eastern town of Vovchansk, according to military officials in Kyiv. The Russian army’s attempt to establish a foothold in the town, which has a pre-war population of 17,000, has been foiled, Ukraine’s general staff said in a midday report. However, a senior Moscow official disputed the claim, saying the Russian army’s frontline push had enough resources to keep going.
The town has been a hotspot in the fighting in recent days, with Russian forces launching an offensive in the Kharkiv area late last week. The region has been under intense pressure, with Ukraine’s outnumbered and outgunned forces waiting for delayed deliveries of crucial weapons and ammunition from Western partners.
Despite the challenges, Ukrainian authorities have evacuated around 8,000 civilians from Vovchansk, citing Russia’s tactic of reducing towns and villages to ruins with aerial strikes before its units move in. The town’s location just three miles from the Russian border makes it a strategic location, and Russian forces have been testing Ukraine’s defenses at other points along the roughly 620-mile front line snaking from north to south through eastern Ukraine.
Meanwhile, NATO’s top military officer, US General Christopher Cavoli, believes that Russia’s armed forces are incapable of any major advance, citing their lack of numbers, skill, and capability. He also suggested that Ukraine’s repeated attempts to strike behind Russian lines using drones have not been successful, although Ukraine has reiterated its commitment to using new technology to counter Russian aggression.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has acknowledged the situation is extremely difficult, but maintained that his country is generally in control of the Kharkiv region. Russian forces, on the other hand, have made limited gains, advancing no more than five miles from the shared border with Ukraine, according to the Institute for the Study of War.
The conflict has seen significant escalation in recent days, with Russia launching attacks in the eastern Donetsk region, northern Chernihiv and Sumy regions, and the southern Zaporizhzhia region. NATO’s top military officers have urged senior officers to send more arms and ammunition to Ukraine, despite the risks of depleting their own stocks.
The international community has vowed to support Ukraine, with the United States announcing a $2 billion arms deal and NATO’s commander-in-chief, Rob Bauer, urging more support for Ukraine, even if it means ignoring weapons stock guidelines. The international community is closely monitoring the situation, as tensions continue to escalate on the front lines.