Frontline report: Russia’s elite Spetsnaz walk over their own dead as French ex-commandos hold Kharkiv line

Today, there are a lot of interesting updates from the Kharkiv direction. Here, Russians launched their long-anticipated summer offensive on Kharkiv, aiming to reverse the losses suffered in 2022 and collapse the Ukrainian front from Vovchansk.

Kharkiv offensive: High stakes

But as Russian Spetsnaz units led the charge, they were met head-on by French special forces volunteers fighting for Ukraine, triggering an unexpected brutal clash. The goal of the Russian forces in this area is to retake the territories lost to the Ukrainians during the 2022 Kharkiv counteroffensive and achieve what they failed to do last year in 2024.

If Russians achieve a breakthrough at Vovchansk, they will continue their offensive along the Siversky Donets river and threaten to outflank the Ukrainian forces at Kupiansk, placing the Ukrainians at risk of frontline collapse, and taking much of the territory in the process.

Phase one: Reconnaissance assaults fail

As you remember from a previous report, the Russians had already initiated the first phase of their attacks with large reconnaissance-in-force operations, meant to test the Ukrainian defenses, but were destroyed even before they crossed the administrative border. These and other assaults indicate that Russians are already setting their plans in motion.

Zooming into Vovchansk, the entire town was left in ruins after the brutal fighting that took place during the initial Russian offensive of 2024 and subsequent positional battles within the town. The Russian forces are in control of the northern part of the town, holed up in basements, as there are no standing buildings left. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian forces are positioned in the southern part of the town along the riverbank and in the local aggregate plant, allowing the Ukrainians to maintain a tactical presence in the town. This enduring tactical presence and the severe damage to the town itself created a no-man's land between the Russian and Ukrainian lines, where the collapsed buildings and ruins prevent either side from establishing long-term positions. In Vovchansk, the scale of destruction has left Russian infantry units exposed, with no intact buildings or basements for cover.

Forced to operate in open rubble, they become easy targets for Ukrainian drones. Over a year of futile assaults has turned the town into a graveyard of Russian troops, each wave falling where the last one died, forced to walk over each other's bodies.

Clash of elite forces east of Tykhe

Russians understood that making progress in Vovchansk is extremely unlikely, which is why they are now attempting to widen the front east of Tykhe, trying to overextend Ukrainian lines. The Russians initiated their assaults in this area by advancing through the forest, led by special forces operatives of Spetsnaz. However, the Ukrainians did not leave this area undefended, as a contingent of Ukrainian foreign fighters was located there. The Russian special operatives were caught off guard as they encountered their match in elite, ex-special forces, French volunteers serving with the Ukrainian Military Intelligence.

The French opened fire on the Russians, prompting the Russians to fire back and reveal their positions, whereafter the French moved quickly to gain complete fire superiority. The distance between the French and the Russians was close to the point that fighters of both sides could hear each other's yelling and commands amidst the intense battle. Unfortunately for the Russians, they were no match for the French ex-special forces.

As the French advanced, moving past the bodies of the ones they killed, they directed artillery fire on the remaining Russian positions, decimating the Spetsnaz fighters and taking the day.

Strategic implications: Holding line in Kharkiv

Overall, in Russian strategic doctrine, there is no diversionary offensive, as their forces will persistently try to exploit a breakthrough anywhere and whenever possible. This makes holding the line in the Kharkiv sector crucial, as maintaining a strong defense will make it unlikely that the Russians will continue their attacks and instead concentrate their forces elsewhere.

The first Russian soldiers to initiate the fighting and the foundation for these offensives are reconnaissance units, which in this case even included Spetsnaz fighters.

However, with elite French foreign volunteers serving to counter the Russian threat, Russians stand no chance of achieving anything close to meaningful gains here. In our daily 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.