Russia “occupies 5 villages in Kharkiv Oblast”… Woo “A fierce battle continues”우크라이나 경찰이 러시아군이 진격해 치열한 전투가 벌어지고 있는 하르키우주 북부 국경 지역 보우찬스크에서 불타는 건물 앞을 지나고 있다. 보우찬스크/AP 연합뉴스As the Russian military advanced ground forces across the northeastern Ukrainian border into Kharkiv Oblast, it expanded the ground battle front from eastern and southern Ukraine to northeastern Ukraine. There is analysis that this is an operation to solidify superiority in ground warfare by dispersing the Ukrainian army, which is lagging behind in troops and weapons, to various locations while securing the area as a ‘buffer zone’.
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced on the 11th (local time) that its troops advanced from Volgorod, near the Ukrainian border, to Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine, on the 10th and occupied five villages near the border, Reuters and others reported. The Ministry of Defense claimed that it had liberated five border villages: Pletenivka, Ohirtseve, Borisivka, Pilna and Strileca. These villages are located about 3 to 5 km away from the border.
The Ukrainian side only said that fierce fighting continued for a second day around villages near the border. Kharkiv Region Governor Oleg Sinevov said this and said that in the future, “the fighting will spread further, the pressure will increase, and the troops stationed will be strengthened.” He added that there was no need for residents to evacuate from Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city with a population of 1.3 million.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that fighting also took place in other areas, including Krasne, that night, and said, “Our soldiers have been counterattacking for the second day and protecting Ukrainian territory.”
Local government officials said that about 1,700 residents were evacuated to safety after the Russian attack. The Associated Press reported that its reporters were accompanying a resident evacuation support team and that many buildings were destroyed and roads were deserted. The news agency added that as Russian fighter jets continued their airstrikes, black smoke billowed out, large holes were created in various places on the roads due to the bombings, and there were many burning buildings.
“The situation in villages around the (Russian) border is extremely bad,” said Tamaz Hambarashvili, head of the military administration in the Bouchansk region. “Airstrikes are continuing, and missile and artillery attacks are continuing.” “They think they are destroying the city to force all the residents to leave the city and create a ‘gray zone’ where no one, including soldiers, will remain,” he said.
At the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine that began in February 2022, Russian troops advanced into the vicinity of the Ukrainian capital Kiev and Kharkiv, but withdrew from the two areas after April in the face of a strong counterattack by the Ukrainian army. In particular, after September of that year, troops were completely withdrawn from Kharkiv Region and ground forces were deployed only to the eastern Donbas region and southern Kherson Oblast. Since then, Russia's Belgorod region, bordering Kharkiv Oblast, has become the main target of attacks by the Ukrainian military.
Last March, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the creation of a buffer zone in Ukraine close to the country's border to prevent attacks by the Ukrainian military. After this order, the Russian military strengthened its airstrikes against Kharkiv Oblast, and there were observations that an operation to secure the area as a buffer zone was imminent.
The American think tank Institute for War Studies (ISW) evaluated that the Russian military achieved significant tactical success in Kharkiv Space. The institute said, “The Russian military has limited operational objectives in the northern region of Kharkiv, but appears to be carrying out offensive operations for the strategic effect of attracting Ukrainian troops and supplies (to this region) from key fronts such as eastern Ukraine.” “He analyzed. The institute added that it did not yet appear likely that the Russian military would immediately push for a large-scale offensive operation to surround and capture the city of Kharkiv.
American media, including the New York Times, pointed out that if this ground force operation leads to the Russian military's 'spring offensive', the Ukraine war, which has been over two years old, could enter a critical phase.
Reporter Shin Ki-seop marishin@hani.co.kr |
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