Intense battle in Vovchansk: Ukrainian forces endeavoring to cut off advancing Russian troops.
Intense battles are raging at a quarry plant on the outskirts of Vovchansk, as per reports from military bloggers on both sides of the conflict zone.
Stanislav Buniatov, nicknamed Osman, a Ukrainian squad leader, shared his thoughts on the situation in Vovchansk, which is situated east of Kharkiv and close to the border, stating it as "tough but manageable" with Russian troops "corralled".
According to a Telegram post by Osman, Ukrainian forces are holding their ground, sometimes launching successful attacks, reclaiming positions, and pushing back the enemy.
Russian forces started crossing the border in large numbers last month, initiating a multi-faceted attack aimed at establishing a buffer zone to safeguard Russian cities such as Belgorod from potential Ukrainian attacks.
Initially, they captured several villages near the border and reached the outskirts of Vovchansk, which was regained by Ukrainian forces in September 2022 after being under control for several months.
DeepState, a Ukrainian monitoring group, reports that small Russian soldier units have repeatedly tried to seize the quarry plant, but have been pushed back by Ukrainian forces.
Indicating difficulties in supplying the Russian soldiers, DeepState claims that food and water are being delivered to them through drones.
Recent videos, verified by CNN, show Ukrainian drones bombarding the plant.
WarGonzo, a Russian military blogger, posted on Telegram that fighting in the area is "intense" with Ukrainian forces conducting counterattacks to drive out the Russian Armed Forces from their occupied positions, but did not mention the troops being surrounded.
On Sunday, the Russian Ministry of Defense issued a statement claiming that their troops have "improved the situation along the front line and defeated the personnel and equipment" of Ukrainian troops in the "regions of the settlements of Vovchansk, Synelnykove and Vovchanski Khutory" in Kharkiv region.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense declined to provide additional information when approached by CNN for comment.
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Despite the intense clashes in Vovchansk, Ukrainian and Russian forces continue to engage in a strategic game of control near the border, demonstrating the global significance of the region in Europe.
