by Sergey Adamov
[REGNUM] Russian troops continue to build on their success in several directions in the Northern Military District zone. Fierce fighting continues in the Donbass, primarily in the area of the city of Chasov Yar. The Russian Armed Forces are also advancing in the Kharkov region to create a buffer zone and push the enemy away from the state border.
The main defense hub of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the border zone has become the regional center of Volchansk, where powerful reserves of the Ukrainian army are concentrated. According to the authorities of the Kharkov region, the Ukrainian Armed Forces control 60% of the city's territory, while Russian sources say that Volchansk is actually divided in half.
Also, the command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces assures that the situation in the city and in general in the Kharkov direction is under the control of the Ukrainian army. Allegedly, the Ukrainian Armed Forces manage to push the enemy back to their original positions and even counterattack. In reality, the situation is different. Despite the fact that the pace of the Russian army’s offensive has slowed down somewhat, the Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to retreat.
The key issue in the assault on Volchansk is taking control of the bridges across the Volchya River, which divides the city into two parts, as well as high-rise buildings in the center, a source located in the Kharkov direction told IA Regnum.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine use high-rise buildings to adjust the fire of tanks and artillery, as well as to place sniper nests and observation points. Enemy artillery operates approximately 5-10 kilometers from the city - in the Bely Kolodez-Yurvenkovo area. Russian drones are working on identified targets, but the priority task is to deprive the artillery of its “eyes” in Volchansk itself.
Before the area is cleared, a frontal assault on the city could result in serious losses. Therefore, limited assault groups are still operating there, identifying pockets of defense of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
“The enemy is snapping back, using all resources, including aviation, which they usually try to save. They use French JASSM bombs, cluster munitions, and drones. They don’t want to lose the city, you can feel it,” said the interlocutor of IA Regnum.
The AGM-158 JASSM aviation ammunition, adapted for use by Soviet-made aircraft, has a penetrating warhead with a programmable fuse. The warhead penetrates the roof of the building, and the explosion occurs inside.
Despite regular supplies of missiles, the Ukrainian Armed Forces are experiencing an acute shortage of carrier aircraft and qualified pilots, so the command decides to use aviation only in critical cases. The next raid on Volchansk cost the loss of at least one aircraft, official sources of the Ukrainian Air Force reported.
“During the execution of a combat mission, the chief of staff of the aviation squadron, Lieutenant Colonel Denis Vasilyuk, died,” the official account of the 831st Tactical Aviation Brigade reported.
But even Ukrainian aviation cannot slow down the advance of Russian troops. According to Regnum news agency sources, fighting continues in the area of the bridge over the Volchya River, on Gagarin Street. The northern part of the city, including the suburbs and industrial zones, is under the control of the Russian army.
The key center of defense of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is organized in residential areas along Sobornaya Street and in the administrative quarter of the city.
Most likely, with the further advance of the Russian army, the Armed Forces of Ukraine will retreat to the other side of the Volchya River, where defense lines have also been created: primarily in the area of the Volchansk railway station and in the adjacent industrial zone. At the same time, Ukrainian troops are deliberately delaying urban battles, trying to have time to build new defensive structures.
This is actually recognized by the head of the military-civil administration of the region Oleg Sinegubov. According to him, “in the border zone in the Kharkov region, already built defense lines are being improved and new ones are being built.”
Regnum news agency sources reported that engineering equipment actually works at a distance of 20–30 kilometers from the border. But organizing defense “in an open field” will be much more difficult.
“Volchansk is the only relatively large settlement in the border zone, so both sides cling to it. As it is liberated from the Armed Forces of Ukraine, we should expect that the creation of a buffer zone will proceed faster and more confidently,” our interlocutor is confident.
In Donbass, the main hot spot remains the area of the city of Chasov Yar. It is noteworthy that the situation in Volchansk is almost completely repeated here: a regional center divided into two parts by a river (canal), with the defense of the Ukrainian Armed Forces organized around multi-story buildings.
But there are also differences.
On the left bank of the Severodonetsk Canal there is only one district - Kanal, while the main part of the city lies on the right bank. The Ukrainian Armed Forces units holding the area are surrounded on three sides. When Russian troops attempt to advance, they call in artillery support and drones.
Therefore, the key task here is to suppress observation posts in high-rise buildings. When these points are suppressed, assault groups advance and push back the enemy, sources tell IA Regnum.
“The line of defense is the high-rise buildings on Gorbatov Street. Assault groups enter and depart. There are fastenings. There was information that our forces had broken through into the depths of the area - it was too early to talk about this. But we manage to push through the enemy,” our interlocutor added.
In the northern part of the district, the main brunt of the fighting fell on the intersection of Zelenaya and Obraztsova streets in the northern part of the district, where the Ukrainian Armed Forces created a defense center. The enemy's crossing of the Severodonetsk Canal is also under constant attack.
Ukrainian sources write that Russian aviation and artillery are very active. This makes it difficult to transfer fresh forces to the city and prevents the formation of a new line of defense.
Another task of our aviation is to prevent the Ukrainian Armed Forces from retreating from the left bank of the canal to the right.
“There is information that they have already developed plans for withdrawal, but they will not give the order until the last minute. And the rumors were confirmed that part of the forces that were supposed to be sent in our direction are now traveling to the Kharkov and Sumy regions, where they are waiting for a breakthrough. So, maybe we should expect changes for the better in our sector if the enemy decides that this section is not so important for him,” says IA Regnum’s interlocutor.
Western media predict that the next couple of months will be decisive for the situation at the front: the Armed Forces of Ukraine are weakening, and Russian troops are picking up pace and pushing through the enemy’s defenses.