File image.
On January 24, the Russian military’s Sever [North] Group of Forces captured Starytsia from Kiev forces, expanding its control in the Vovchansk direction in Kharkiv.
The 7th and 9th motor rifle brigades of the Severe Group of Forces’ 11th Army battled Kiev forces in the settlement, which is located more than eight kilometers to the west of Vovchansk itself, before taking over it. Artillery fire played a decisive role in the battle.
Ukraine’s 127th Heavy Mechanized Brigade fought fiercely in Starytsia, but took heavy losses and failed to hold onto the settlement.
Over the past week, the Sever Group of Forces expanded its control in the Vovchansk direction as a part of efforts to establish a security zone on the border with Kharkiv.
Russian troops captured Siminovka, located around five kilometers to the south of Vovchansk, just a day earlier, and before that broke through Ukrainian defenses in Hrafske, to the northwest of the settlement, and reached the left bank of the Siverskyi Donets River.
The recent advances from Siminovka to Starytsia indicate that the Sever Group of Forces is now prioritizing the border line to the west of Vovchansk.
Fighting in Hrafske is already underway, and the settlement will likely be captured by Russian troops within a few weeks, or even days.
Once the settlement is secured, the Sever Group of Forces could begin advancing west towards Izbyts’ke from two main directions. Russian troops will advance towards the settlement from Starytsia along the С-210817 road. At the same time, the troops could cross from Hrafske into the right bank of Siverskyi Donets, and began clearing the forest located to the east of the settlement.
Capturing Izbyts’ke will put Russian troops just around ten kilometers to the east from their comrades who are fighting along the border to the north of Zelene.
In recent weeks it became clear that Kiev forces no longer have the resources to maintain the current front in the Vovchansk direction. Thus, Sever Group of Forces is expected to expand its control there even more, despite unfavourable weather conditions.
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