The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine confirm the enemy’s tactical success in the Kharkiv region.

Russia has mobilized “significant forces” to conduct an offensive against Vovchansk in the Kharkiv Region, consisting of up to five battalions, the General Staff said in a statement. In addition, the enemy is conducting massive shelling on more than 30 settlements in the Kharkiv region, which have been hit by artillery and mortar strikes.

ISW analysts believe that Russian troops are trying to capture the city of Vovchansk, which may be part of a plan to attack the Ukrainian forces holding the lines in the Kupyansk direction.

Military analysts also say that the Russian military’s goals remain unclear, as they appear to lack the resources necessary to occupy the Kharkiv region. To capture the entire region, the Russian army would need between 75,000 and 100,000 soldiers in addition to heavy equipment, which the enemy does not currently have.

Adding to the uncertainty is that the offensive in the Kharkiv region has diverted Russian resources that could have been used in the Donetsk region or other areas of the front.