Day 840: June 12.
Today, there are a lot of updates from the Kharkiv direction.
The situation in Vovchansk has seen significant developments as Ukrainian forces intensified their counterattacks and recaptured even more ground.
Different analyst reports indicate substantial gains by Ukrainian forces, who have managed to recapture key positions to the west and northeast of the city.
In a significant development, Ukrainian forces recently conducted their first-ever strike with fighter jets on Russian territory, targeting a Russian command center and massive ammo depot near Belgorod.
The strike resulted in a large-scale fire with secondary detonations, causing fear among the local population.
Media: Massive fire at Russian ammo depot Belgorod Oblast after alleged Ukrainian attack (video)
This attack underscores the shift in the operational landscape following the authorization by all Western partners for Ukraine to attack targets on Russian soil with Western weapons, including aviation bombs. It shows the way for Ukrainian forces to significantly damage logistic efforts to supply material to Russian forces participating in the Kharkiv offensive. This event is undoubtedly part of the shaping operations in an attempt to undermine Russian supplies and facilitate Ukrainian counter-offensive efforts. The original uncensored videos of this strike can be found on our Telegram channel.
According to different Russian military analysts and also the Vovchansk City Military Administration, Ukrainian forces have recently retaken several positions within the settlement. Ukrainian officers have confirmed that most of Vovchansk remains under Ukrainian control, suggesting that recent tactical counterattacks have been successful in driving Russian forces out of central areas, with some Russian soldiers now surrounded and cut off.
Reports indicate that Ukrainian forces are increasing their efforts in the northern part of Vovchansk, attempting to eliminate the salient by recapturing territory block by block to the west. For their part, in what appears to be a desperate attempt, the Russians are still trying to attack the industrial zone around the aggregate plant located in the south, where Ukrainian forces have concentrated their primary area of force buildup. This movement puts Russian forces at an evident risk of being cut off if Ukrainian advances to the West continue at their current pace.
Recent geolocated footage shows the success of Ukrainian counterattacks. The first video shows a Russian soldier walking unarmed along a Vovchanks street to the Ukrainian side because he decided to surrender and remain alive.
This soldier was most likely part of one of the groups that were cut off and surrounded. Those who did not surrender willingly were assaulted and still captured if they survived. A huge number of recently released videos show newly captured Russians along the whole contact line. Due to the sensitive nature of the footage, we can publish them only on Reporting From Ukraine’s Telegram channel, which is accessible using the link in the description.
In general, apart from the high-rise buildings in the Citadel area in the center of the city and the industrial buildings in the southern part, both in the hands of Ukrainian forces, there are not many other areas in the city that could provide a sufficient level of fortification for Russian forces. Most of the buildings in the northern part of Russian control are residential houses on one or two floors at most. This means that Russian forces could be forced to withdraw to a position already outside the city on the northern outskirts of Vovchansk.
On the eastern side of the city, Ukrainian forces have recaptured a significant area of the settlement and continued their advance to the north. However, they have thus far advanced through urban areas. If we look at the topographic map, we can see that just next to these recaptured areas lies a high-altitude area, which may present more significant challenges for the continuation of Ukrainian advances.
German media military expert Julian Röpcke stated that Ukrainian troops recaptured new positions in the northeast of Vovchansk, while Russian troops continued to withdraw and counterattack lost areas with aircraft, missiles, and artillery. According to the German expert, to transfer reinforcements from the southern to the northern bank of the Vocha River, the Ukrainian Armed Forces made use of the German “Biber” tank bridge layer. The Russian Armed Forces attacked him with a Lancet drone, but there is no indication that the crossing went out of order. Other military analysts suggested that Ukrainian forces may be aiming to advance northeast of the city to find a path to reach the international border.
Overall, the situation in Vovchansk remains highly contested, with Ukrainian forces making significant gains through effective counteroffensive operations. Ukrainian forces continue to recover areas in Vovchansk, leveraging their numerical superiority, the arrival of Western-supplied artillery, and the ability to strike Russian logistics and rear positions with advanced Western weaponry. However, the urgency to accelerate these counterattacks is driven by the extensive destruction caused by Russian forces over Vovchansk, which is making it increasingly difficult for Ukrainian troops to find fortified positions within the city.
Hopefully, Ukrainian forces will liberate Vovchansk entirely as soon as possible in order to secure and prepare fortified positions in the field areas north of the city.
In our regular frontline report, we pair up with the military blogger Reporting from Ukraine to keep you informed about what is happening on the battlefield in the Russo-Ukrainian war.
