Russian 72nd Division advances more than 5 km, Volchansk front shakes

The Russian 72nd Division advanced 5 km to restart the Volchansk front in the Kharkov region, forcing the Ukrainian army to spread its forces to hold the line.

The situation on the battlefield between Russia and Ukraine is becoming increasingly complicated. The Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) clearly feel that they do not have enough troops. To fill the gap on the front line, they have transferred units from the Belarusian border to the fiercely fought fronts such as Sumy and Pokrovsk.

It's not like they haven't done this before, but this time, the move was especially big. Not only were regular units withdrawn, but even border guards were sent to the front lines. What's more noteworthy is that the AFU established a company entirely of female soldiers.

The 80th Airborne Brigade of the AFU has formed a number of such companies and they may be sent to the battlefield for some time to come. Obviously, the AFU is so short of manpower that they have no choice, otherwise they would not have sent so many women to the battlefield to face the bombardment and artillery fire.

Observing the AFU's defensive activities, photos published by the Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung show that they are building new defensive lines, 20 to 25 kilometers west of important cities such as Kramatorsk, Sloviansk, Druzhkivka or Kostiantynivka in Donetsk Oblast.

The same thing is happening in Kharkov. Each line of defense is quite elaborate, with three consecutive anti-tank trenches, three rows of “dragon’s teeth” in between, and barbed wire. Behind them are several layers of small infantry trenches covered with corrugated iron, presumably to stop UAVs from dropping bombs.

The AFU is building up its defenses in a big way, frankly, they feel that places like Pokrovsk and Konstantinovka are no longer defensible. Although the Russian Armed Forces (RFAF) are advancing slowly, they are gradually encircling these two cities, especially Pokrovsk.

At present, only the northern and western halves of the city are connected to the Ukrainian rear. The remaining directions are held by the RFAF. Currently, the RFAF is heavily attacking the Torets River defense line, trying to block the last Ukrainian route out of Pokrovsk.

The RFAF has been using FPV UAVs, artillery, and tactical air power to attack supply lines north of Pokrovsk. Moscow appears determined to completely encircle and overrun the city during this summer’s campaign.

Meanwhile, recent battles in the direction of the border village of Milove in Kharkov province have also been fierce. The US Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said that the RFAF has sent the 83rd Mechanized Infantry Regiment and the 72nd Mechanized Infantry Division here, a total of one regiment and one division.

Recently, the 72nd Motorized Rifle Division advanced about 5 km southwest of Milove, crossed the upper reaches of the Dvurechnaya River, and advanced northeast of the village of Khatnje. At the same time, the Russians used artillery and FPV UAVs to bombard Khatnje and Velykyi Burluk. Anyone with a keen eye could see that the RFAF wanted to capture these two places.

Faced with such a situation, the AFU quickly sent reinforcements to Khatnje, and also sent an armored group to attack the Russian positions northeast of the village. They must have guessed that the RFAF's target was the town of Velykyi Burluk.

The town of Velykyi Burluk is no ordinary position, it is a vital supply point between Volchansk and Dvorichna. If the RFAF captures or encircles it, the entire Ukrainian front could fall into chaos, and a large area north of Dvorichna could fall.

Tactically, the RFAF may want to occupy the area from Volchansk to Dvorichna, and then to the border, to create a security buffer zone to avoid future harassment by the AFU. However, the Russian military cannot easily attack Velykyi Burluk.

The reason was that in order to attack Velykyi Burluk, the RFAF first had to consolidate the Milove bridgehead 20 km away. Otherwise, they would be alone if they rushed in. At the very least, they had to capture the villages around Milove, especially the Khatnje transit point.

There was now a straight road from Khatnje to Velykyi Burluk, with only one small village on the way. The advance was not difficult, but the flanks were vulnerable. Therefore, the RFAF also had to secure the area from Shevchenkove to Zamist to the northwest of the road. This required them to first capture Chugunivka, then Malyi Burluk and stabilize the bridgehead before advancing.

One more thing worth mentioning. The commander of the RFAF’s 155th Marine Brigade, Colonel Sergei Ilyin, was killed in action. The Russian side released photos of his funeral, saying that he died on July 2. Coincidentally, the deputy commander of the Russian Navy, Major General Gudkov, was also killed on the same day. Both were hit by Ukrainian missiles at the same command post.

The loss of two senior RFAF officers must have had some impact on the morale of the Russian military. It also shows that RFAF field headquarters are vulnerable to attack, and the reconnaissance and strike capabilities of the Ukrainian military cannot be underestimated.

Overall, the AFU is currently very short of troops and its defense line is shrinking. Although the RFAF is advancing slowly, it is making progress step by step. The tug of war between the two sides will continue for some time. However, if the RFAF wants to achieve its strategic goals, it must solve the problems of logistics and flank protection. Otherwise, the AFU will easily seize the opportunity to counterattack. (photo source Kyiv Post, Sohu, Sputnik).

Sohu

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/su-doan-72-nga-tien-hon-5-km-mat-tran-volchansk-rung-chuyen-post1555736.html