The Russian Army is now giving priority to the capture of Volchansk, since this is one of the tactical goals of the first phase of the offensive in the north of the Kharkov region, analysts at the Institute for the Study of War ISW believe.
Volchansk — priority target of the Russian Federation in the Kharkov direction
— Russian forces struck bridges over the Seversky Donets River to quickly isolate the battlefield east of the river to increase their chances of destroying Ukrainian land lines of communication and quickly capturing Volchansk, — they explain.
In addition, according to ISW, most of the occupiers’ attacks occurred precisely in Volchansk, and besides, the Russian Federation transferred more manpower there than in the Lipsk direction.
— The Russian military command likely chose the capture of Volchansk as one of the key tactical objectives of the first phase of the offensive operation in the north of the Kharkov region, since Volchansk is the largest populated area directly on the border, which would provide Russian troops with a bridgehead close to to the Russian rear, to prepare and begin the second phase of the Russian offensive operation, — analysts note.
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At the same time, in their opinion, it is not yet clear whether the second phase of the offensive in this direction will be Russia’s priority operational goal — with the expansion of the so-called buffer zone along the international border, or the Kremlin's operational goal is to advance within the effective range of cannon artillery into Kharkov and its environs.
— Russian troops can also envisage the next phase of the offensive operation from Volchansk with the aim of advancing in the direction of Velikiy Burluk in order to threaten the operational rear of the Ukrainian group, which is defending in the Kupyansk direction, — summarized in ISW.
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