They fortified themselves near Kharkov. The Ukrainian Armed Forces may counter-attack

The Russian offensive finally stopped after breaking the border in the Kharkov region.

The Ukrainian Armed Forces have finally stopped the Russian offensive in the Kharkov region. The West has already called on Ukrainian troops to counterattack, but it is far from certain that this is possible in the current situation.

Situation ahead

The Russian offensive in two directions – directly on the northern outskirts of Kharkov and on the city of Volchansk 50 kilometers to the northeast – finally stopped. The invaders still could not capture even the northern half of Volchansk. They also failed to cross the Volchya River, which divides the city into two equal halves. There is no significant development in the area of ​​the northern outskirts of Kharkov – the village of Liptsy.

Foreign Policy wrote that the Ukrainian Armed Forces had to “forcefully counterattack” in the Kharkov region. “This strategy itself—an urgent need for a counteroffensive—is, in my opinion, a priori unacceptable. These are not things that happen at the command of a pike. The point here is not what is necessary, but what is possible. If a counter-offensive is possible, it does not require any articles that stimulate it, and it is generally not subject to discussion. If a counter-offensive is ready and doable, then it will be carried out naturally here and now, because, obviously, Ukraine wants to liberate its own territories and win the war. There can be no discussion here, “said the military observer David Sharp.

Are the counterattacks starting?

Several Russian “military correspondents” admitted that the Ukrainian Armed Forces were trying to counterattack in the center of Volchansk and in general in the north of the Kharkov region, wrote the American Institute for the Study of War. Ukrainian military observer Konstantin Mashovets responded to complaints from Russian “military correspondents” about the intensification of Ukrainian counterattacks in the direction of Kharkov, and sarcastically predicted that Russian sources in the coming day may announce that the invaders allegedly repelled a “serious” Ukrainian attack here. direction. The representative of the Northern Defense Forces Yuriy Povkh noted that Russian troops have somewhat reduced the intensity of shelling in the north of the Kharkov region and are storming Ukrainian positions with small groups of troops numbering ” no more than a few motorized rifle units.”

Reinforcement of the Marine Corps

Separate units of the Ukrainian Marine Corps appeared in front of Kharkov, which had previously fought for several months on the bridge at Krynki on the left bank of the Dnieper and on the islands in the delta of the river. However, there is still no talk of a full-fledged counter-offensive. The Russian group in this direction has not yet deployed its main forces (in total, two army armies and units of the 6th Combined Arms Army of the Leningrad Military District are participating in the offensive; additional units from the Moscow Military District are also possible) . And Ukraine needs reserves to prepare for the second phase of the enemy’s offensive.