Several dozen Russian soldiers are still trapped in an aggregate factory in Vovchansk, Kharkiv Oblast, according to Oleh Syniehubov, head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration.
This follows earlier reports on 15 June that up to 200 Russian troops were surrounded after attempting to cross the Vovcha River.
“Several dozen occupiers are blocked at one of the industrial facilities in Vovchansk. The Russians are trying to break through but are constantly suffering losses in this direction,” Syniehubov wrote on Telegram.
Yurii Povkh, Kharkiv Operational Command spokesperson, confirmed ongoing Russian attempts to free the trapped soldiers.
https://twitter.com/EuromaidanPress/status/1806015271808725065
“This enclave remains blocked by Ukrainian defense forces. They [the Russians] are trying to break through, and one of the directions [of attacks] in Vovchansk is towards the factory. They are carrying out attacks, but our defense forces are repelling them,” Povkh told RFE/RL.
Russian troops have been attempting to capture Vovchansk since mid-May when a new offensive by the Russian army began in Kharkiv Oblast. They have taken control of part of the city, but the offensive has stalled, and heavy street fighting is now taking place in Vovchansk.
Read more:
- ISW: Ukrainian forces counterattack in Vovchansk and Starytsia
- ISW: Ukrainian liberated Tykhe village east of Kharkiv’s Vovchansk, advanced elsewhere in the area
- Frontline report: Ukrainian counterattacks recapture key positions in Vovchansk
