Siege of Trapped Russians In Vovchansk, Last Battle of Failed Kharkiv Offensive

It seems fitting that the last battle of Russia's failed Kharkiv offensive is ending in the siege of trapped Russian paratroopers in a bombed out factory, emblematic of the senseless destruction the Kremlin has wrought in Ukraine, to no avail other than the death of its own soldiers. JL

Howard Altman reports in The Drive Warzone:

For the past two weeks, a group of Russian soldiers has been holed up in a factory in the bombed-out city of Vovchansk. For them, it is a last refuge in Kharkiv Oblast destroyed by the urban warfare they wrought.  As street fighting continues to rage, those troops have been cut off, surrounded by Ukrainian forces. The siege of Vovchansk, 25 miles northeast of Kharkiv, is one of the last salients in Russia’s failed offensive towardUkraine’s second-largest city that began in May.  

For the past two weeks, a small group of Russian soldiers has been holed up in a large factory located in the bombed-out city of Vovchansk. For them, it is a last refuge in this Kharkiv Oblast city destroyed by the urban warfare they wrought. 

As street fighting continues to rage, those troops have been cut off, surrounded by Ukrainian forces in a building that has somehow managed to withstand repeated bombardment. One Ukrainian unit taking part in that fight offers an ironic take. It is a situation, they say, akin to the desperate battle for Mariupol when Ukrainian forces were surrounded in an old steel plant and pounded for months in early 2023.

“This is revenge for Azovstal plant,” the Khorne Group said on a video of the bombardment. “Grinding the remains of the elite 83rd orc Airborne Brigade at the Vovchansk factory with beautiful Wagner music in the background.”

The siege of Vovchansk, some 25 miles northeast of Kharkiv, is one of the last salients in Russia’s failed offensive toward Ukraine’s second-largest city that began in May.

“Several dozen occupiers have been blocked at one of the industrial enterprises in the city of Vovchansk,” Oleh Syniehubov, head of the Kharkiv Regional State Administration, said on Telegram. “The Russians are trying to break through, but are constantly suffering losses in this direction.”

The constant house-to-house fighting and bombardment has ripped apart what was once a thriving factory town.

 

“We strike at enemy positions in the area of ​​high-rise buildings in the square of the streets: Lenin, Gogo, Korolenko and Olesya Dosvitniy,” a Russian paratrooper said on Telegram. “The enemy continues to build up forces on the banks of the Volchaya and crosses the river at every opportunity, at the same time our artillery and FPV drone operators strike at those crossing, so about 50 Nazis were destroyed in a day.”

Ukrainian milblogger Nikolaev Vanek suggested on Telegram that the Russians are conducting a large withdrawal from the city.

“Three weeks have passed,” Vanek explained. “The entire 83rd Assault Brigade is being urgently withdrawn from forward positions to restore combat capability to the rear. There are too many losses, they can’t carry out battles.”

The destroyed city of Vovchansk is one of the last salients of Russia’s failed Kharkiv offensive. Google Earth image

 

Given the proverbial fog of war, it is hard to know exactly what is happening in Vovchansk, but one thing is certain.

The city is a smoldering ruins.