ISW: Russian troops advanced in Kharkiv region, AFU knocked them out of certain positions

ISW: Russian troops advanced in Kharkiv region, AFU knocked them out of certain positions

The enemy has recently captured Lukyantsi and advanced closer to Lyptsi.

Russian troops have recently advanced in the Kharkiv region near Liptsy and Vovchansk, and are putting pressure on the Donetsk area. The Ukrainian Armed Forces pushed the occupiers out of their positions near Kyslivka, southeast of Kupyansk. This is stated in a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

The Russian invaders recently seized Lukyantsi (northeast of Lyptsi) and moved closer to Lyptsi amid offensive operations in the area on 16 May.

Geolocation footage released on 16 May showed Russian troops moving closer to Liptsi from the northeast.

Russian sources claimed that the occupiers had advanced to a depth of 1.2 km near the southern outskirts of Hlyboke (north of Lyptsi), but ISW analysts have not yet seen any evidence of this.

Russian troops continued their offensive north of Lypky in the vicinity of Pylyna, Lukianets, Hlyboke and near Lyptsi itself.

The enemy had recently advanced in the northern part of Vovchansk and continued its offensive in the area on 16 May.

Geo-location footage from 16 May shows that the invaders advanced to Taras Shevchenko Street and along Korolenko Street in the north of Vovchansk and seized the city’s central district hospital.

Geolocation footage also shows that Russian troops have recently made minor gains in northeastern Starytsia (west of Vovchansk on the western bank of the Siverskyi Donets River).

According to Russian sources, the occupiers have advanced 3 km into Vovchansk and are approaching the Vovchansk cemetery in the north-east of the city and the Aggregate Plant in the centre of the town.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that Russian troops continued their offensive in the area of Starytsia, Pletenivka and Vovchansk.

Analysts note that the limited combat power that Russia has so far allocated for offensive operations in the north of Kharkiv region may have already deteriorated.

"It seems that Russian troops launched their offensive in the north of Kharkiv before they had completed bringing the Northern Group of troops to their stated planned final strength, and they may lack the combat power to achieve their operational goals in the Kharkiv region," the Institute for War Studies estimates.