Russia Attempts New Attacks At Vovchansk, Suffers "Heavy Losses"

Russian forces again appear focused on another objective which they have repeatedly failed to take. The issue appears to be that the Kremlin cannot countenance their inability to achieve objectives and so will expend as many lives and resources as necessary to be proven wrong. 

This time it's Vovchansk. JL

New Voice of Ukraine reports:

Russia is attempting to regroup in the Lyptsi and Vovchansk sectors of the front in Ukraine's Kharkiv Oblast. The Kharkiv direction, initially considered auxiliary, has become a priority for the Russian General Staff, with “significant resources being deployed in the area” while Ukrainian forces continued to push back Russian forces in the Kharkiv sector.

Russia is attempting to regroup its units in the Lyptsi and Vovchansk sectors of the front in Ukraine's Kharkiv Oblast, the Operational and Tactical Group Kharkiv reported on Telegram on July 13.

Since the start of the day, Russian forces have launched 19 airstrikes on Ukrainian positions in Lyptsi, Vovchansk, Mali Prokhody, Starytsya, Kupyansk, and Hlyboke, utilizing 43 aircraft. Additionally, there have been 28 kamikaze drone attacks and 487 artillery strikes.

A total of 112 Russian soldiers have been reported killed or wounded. Ukrainian forces have destroyed 77 enemy hideouts, three UAV launch sites, and the following equipment:

 

2 tanks

• 1 armored personnel carrier
• 9 artillery systems
• 7 vehicles
• 1 air defense system
• 3 units of special equipment
• 40 UAVs

Former Ukrainian General Staff spokesperson Vladyslav Seleznyov stated on Radio NV on July 12 that fighting and enemy attacks in Kharkiv Oblast have intensified following the deployment of additional Russian troops and equipment.

 

"The enemy is trying to achieve its goals in the second wave of its offensive campaign, and it is obvious that the capture of Vovchansk is only an intermediate stage,” Seleznyov said.

The Russians “planned to move deeper into our territory to create serious problems for the Ukrainian grouping of troops operating in the Kupyansk sector. The enemy failed to do so in its offensive that began on May 10, and now it is again deploying additional resources."

Seleznyov noted that the Kharkiv direction, initially considered auxiliary, has become a priority for the Russian General Staff, with “significant resources being deployed in the area.”

On July 11, the U.S.-based think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported recent Russian advances south of Siversk, in the Pokrovsk sector, and west of Donetsk, while Ukrainian forces continued to push back Russian forces in the Kharkiv sector.