Russia changes plans to attack Kharkiv, catching Ukraine by surprise.

The Economist reported that the Russian armed forces had initially identified two attack routes in the Kharkiv region, planned for May 15 and 16, but unexpectedly launched an earlier attack on other positions instead of Ukraine's weak point at the Pechenezh reservoir. This caught the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) by surprise and forced them to defend themselves passively.

Russia's decision to accelerate the timing and direction of its attack in Kharkiv caught Ukraine by surprise and forced it into a defensive posture. Photo: Getty

According to The Economist, the Russian army had planned to reach the AFU's defensive positions within 72 hours to allow artillery to attack Kharkiv, but canceled the plan and split its forces to attack from two directions: North and Northeast.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky confirmed the transfer of reserve troops from another front to Kharkiv. He acknowledged the successes of the Russian Army in the Kharkiv direction, citing the lack of necessary air defense systems by the AFU, and criticized the West for continuing to delay the supply of these weapons to Kyiv.

The Economist wrote: "The Russians initially launched this campaign swiftly, sweeping through an area that should have been prepared with minefields and fortified positions, but that was not the case."

The commander of a Ukrainian intelligence unit, Denys Yaroslavskyi, told reporters that the Russians "were simply allowed to pass through": "We were watching them cut the border fence on the screen at around 11 p.m. on May 9, and I told the frontline unit to detonate the mines. No explosions were heard and the Russian soldiers quickly advanced."

Regarding the offensive on Kharkiv, the Military Chronicle commented that, after several days of rapid breakthroughs and gaining control of numerous settlements, the pace of the Russian advance is showing signs of slowing down.

From Volchansk, the AFU is gradually being pushed south and southwest. In this area, Russian combat groups have attempted to begin arranging their fronts to prevent the AFU from counterattacking, while the Ukrainian side is trying to prevent this move.

The railway station in Chernomorsk was attacked. Photo: AP

Russian forces also achieved significant successes near Liptsy. Although the key densely populated area on the Kharkiv front has not yet been surrounded, Russian long-range artillery has begun shelling Ukrainian supply lines in the Dergachi and Zolochev areas of Kharkiv.

Furthermore, Russia's Northern Task Force has opened a new direction and launched a new offensive in the Zeleny area, between the Volchansky and Liptsevsky regions. This poses a new threat as Russia attempts to connect the two bridgeheads to expand the battlefield and increase troop deployments.

In the initial phase of the offensive in the Kharkiv region, the Russian army clearly had the advantage, but sooner or later the Ukrainian army would begin to react and deploy additional forces to the area. Meanwhile, the Northern Task Force still had many reserve forces yet to be deployed.

Military experts believe that drawing Ukrainian reserves from other directions aims to weaken the cohesion and overall strength of the defense line, thereby exposing weaknesses that Russia can exploit.

The main phase of hostilities in the Kharkiv region will likely begin when the AFU's reserve units are completely drawn there. The Russian army will then wage a war of attrition similar to what it did in Avdeevka, Bakhmut, or Robotine.

Thus, the offensive against Kharkiv remains within Russia's planned scenario. The outbreak of major fighting is still ahead.

In addition to stepping up military operations on the front lines, the Russian Army is also actively hunting down and destroying the AFU's supply lines. According to RIA Novosti, the Russian Army attacked a railway station in Chernomorsk, Odessa region. This train was waiting to deliver military equipment and artillery shells from Romania to the AFU.

"The city of Chernomorsk suffered three blows on the night of May 21st. Several large explosions were recorded at the Chernomorsk railway station. The first attack took place at 2:30 a.m. Residents heard anti-aircraft fire, but the subsequent large explosions came from the direction of the railway station," RIA Novosti reported.

Source: https://congthuong.vn/chien-su-nga-ukraine-hom-nay-ngay-2152024-nga-thay-doi-ke-hoach-tan-cong-kharkov-khien-ukraine-bat-ngo-321409.html