The Russian Federation has advanced no more than 8 kilometers: ISW revealed the situation in the Kharkov region
Date: 2024-05-16 Author: Кирило Загоруйко Categories: WAR
ISW analysts believe that the Russian occupiers have advanced no more than 8 kilometers from the border in the northern part of the Kharkov region. The enemy plans to create a so-called “buffer zone” rather than advance deeper into the region.
The pace of the Russian offensive continues to slow after the occupiers seized areas that Ukrainian officials said were less secure, ISW said.
President Vladimir Zelensky and the Ukrainian military reassured that Ukrainian forces have partially stabilized the situation in the north of the Kharkov region, bordering the aggressor country.
Nazar Voloshin, a representative of the operational-strategic group of troops "Khortitsa", said that the invaders are trying to achieve tactical successes near Lukyants and Volchansk. The enemy needs this to create bridgeheads for further offensive. However, counterattacks, artillery strikes and drone strikes by the Ukrainian Armed Forces do not allow the enemy to gain a foothold in these areas.
Representatives of the Kharkov OVA noted on May 15 that constant shelling makes it impossible for Ukrainian forces to establish fortifications within three to five kilometers from the border with the Russian Federation, and therefore the first and second lines of defense were created at a distance of 12-13 kilometers and 20 kilometers from the border, respectively.
Analysts estimate that the Russians have advanced no more than eight kilometers from the border in the northern part of the Kharkov region.
Invaders operating on Russian territory can easily launch artillery strikes on UAF defensive positions near the border, and bans on the use of Western-provided weapons to attack Russian rear areas make fixed Ukrainian defensive positions near the border vulnerable and possibly defenseless.
Since May 10, the occupiers were able to achieve tactical successes in the north of the Kharkov region in areas where the Ukrainian Armed Forces purposefully did not create significant defensive lines, and now, it seems, they prefer to create a “buffer zone” rather than deep penetration into the territory of the Kharkov region.
