Ukraine’s military announced on Tuesday that its forces retreated from their previous positions in two of Moscow’s offensive-critical areas and warned of a Russian pressure buildup in the north near its Sumy area.
After Russia’s invasion into the Kharkiv place opened a new entry on Friday, forcing Ukraine to jump in reinforcements, a cross-border attack on a fresh flank in the Sumy region had probably extend Kyiv’s depleted defenders even further.
Russia has entered the region’s north and announced on Tuesday that it has taken a frontier town called Buhruvatka. It has made inroads into the region’s north. One of the main Russian thrusts, which occurred five kilometers ( 3 miles ) away from the border, reported reports of firefights in the town’s north.
Units have moved to more effective positions in the Lukyantsi and Vovchansk regions as a result of opponent fire and marching motion, as well as to save the lives of our servicemen and prevent losses, according to the General Staff in a statement later on Tuesday.
Two people were killed in the area’s shelling, according to regional governor Oleh Syniehubov. More than 7, 500 people from Vovchansk and nearby border areas had been evacuated.
” For five days we never left the house, we did n’t see anyone, we were so afraid to go out we never even opened the door”, Natalia Yurchenko, who was evacuated from Vovchansk, told Reuters.
The incursion distracts Kyiv’s defensive operations in the east, where Russia has focused its offensive for months, in addition to the destruction and the negative impact to Ukrainian morale in the area, which is located there.
Moscow’s military spies chief Kyrylo Budanov claimed to have deployed all of its forces in the Kharkiv operation’s border regions, but that it also had additional reserve forces that he anticipated would be deployed in the coming days.
” As of yesterday evening, a rapid trend towards a stabilisation of the situation had emerged- that is, the enemy is, in principle, already blocked at the lines that it was able to reach”, he said in televised comments.
Top Ukrainian officials claim that they do not believe Russia has the troops necessary to seize Kharkiv.
According to information compiled by the Ukrainian General Staff, there have been 14 Russian assaults so far on Tuesday, compared to 13 on Monday and 22 the day before, and Russia is continuing to launch its attacks in the region.
According to Budanov, the situation is moving at a rapid pace and in flux, and the “active phase” of the Russian operation is still in progress.
TEST OF MANPOWER
Budanov claimed that Russia had small groups of forces operating along Ukrainian-Sumy border towns in the area of Sudzha, where Russian natural gas enters Ukraine via pipeline from where it travels to European customers.
The Russians planned an operation in the Sumy region from the beginning, he said, but the situation prevented them from taking decisive action and starting the operation.
Military experts claim that the Ukrainian force is running out and needs to be replenished as a result of the Russian assault.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during a trip to Kyiv on Tuesday that more on the way that would “make a real difference” are adding to that shortfall, which is made worse by months of delays in crucial U.S. military aid.
Emil Kastehelmi, an open- source intelligence analyst with Black Bird Group, told Reuters the most important battle in the Russian push was taking place in Vovchansk, some 45 kilometres from the city of Kharkiv.
” If Russia wants to go further south, Vovchansk needs to be captured. Ukraine is fighting it out in this town, and it seems that closer Ukrainian defenses are starting to appear in other places as well, around 6 to 8 kilometers from the border, he said.
Tamaz Gambarashvili, head of Vovchansk’s military administration, said in televised comments that the town was “almost destroyed”.
” It’s completely under ( Kyiv’s ) control, but there are small groups that try to enter the outskirts of the city, so there is a shooting battle”, he said.
At least eight people have been killed and 35 have been injured in the Kharkiv region, according to Liz Throssell, a spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and her office is “deeply concerned” about the plight of civilians there.
