In the Ukrainian city of Vovchansk, a fierce urban battle has turned the city into ruins. Here, a small group of Russian soldiers, entrenched in bombed-out buildings, are in a desperate situation after weeks of being surrounded by Ukrainian forces and still fighting to the death. In the past program, we have introduced the outside world about the encirclement of the Russian army at the Vovchansk chemical plant, of course, there is speculation that it is 400 people, but now it is only about 40-100 people. However, the Ukrainian army's counteroffensive in Kharkiv and the high-profile start of the Russian army's offensive had to face the situation of death on the battlefield, which shows that this skirmish is a major test of the balance of the Ukrainian battlefield.
The city of Vovchansk was once a thriving factory town, but constant street fighting and bombing have torn it apart. Dozens of Russian soldiers were surrounded by a large area of ruined buildings and experienced repeated bombardment by Ukrainian forces. Now Ukrainian forces are comparing the situation with the fighting at the Azovstal plant in Mariupol at the beginning of the year, when Ukrainian troops were surrounded and subjected to months of heavy attacks.
"This is revenge for the Azovstal plant," a rank-and-file Ukrainian officer said in a video of the bombing. "We are grinding the remains of Russia's elite 83rd Airborne Brigade at the Vovchansk plant with beautiful Wagner music in the background." The head of the Kharkiv regional state administration, Oleh Singehubov, said on Telegram: "An industrial enterprise in the city of Vovchansk is blocked by dozens of occupiers, the Russians are trying to break through, but are constantly suffering losses in this direction, which has been going on for weeks. ”
Ukrainian military blogger Nikolaev Vanet claimed on Telegram that three weeks have passed, and the entire Russian 83rd Assault Brigade is urgently withdrawing from forward positions in order to restore combat capability in the rear. There were too many losses for them to fight.
Forbes related news network pointed out that the Ukrainian defenders completely defeated the elite Russian 83rd Airborne Brigade, and "Russia's Victory Day offensive is evolving into a bloody massacre of the Russian army...".
Although the fog of war makes it difficult to know exactly what is going on in the city of Vovchansk, what is certain is that the city has been reduced to a smoldering ruin, which demonstrates the tenacity of the Russian servicemen who carry out the order to fight to the death, the strong will of the Ukrainian army to fight on the battlefield, and also highlights the emergence of Ukrainian battlefield balance.
This battle proves two things: the Russian grassroots army still has a strong will to fight, so that the West does not see the hope of defeat of the Russian army. The Ukrainian army has a sense of revenge to a certain extent, and it also has more flexible combat skills when fighting; The Russian army does not have the ability to attack in large depth on the battlefield in Ukraine and change the situation on the battlefield. In the absence of adequate preparation, it is impossible to gain a long-term advantage at the tactical and campaign level by rushing to open up a front. The Ukrainian battlefield is still in equilibrium, and any idea of gaining a strategic advantage through one or two offensives is still naïve;
It is precisely because of the direction of the fighting in Kharkiv that NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg lamented that the Russian army no longer has the ability to make a major breakthrough on the battlefield in Ukraine. The Ukrainian army inflicted great losses on the Russian side by striking at the depth of the Russian mainland.
The battle also reminds us that war is not just a game of numbers and strategy, it is about the life and dignity of every soldier. In the ruins of the city of Vovchansk, we see the cruelty of the war, as well as the indomitable spirit of the soldiers. It is a battle of courage, sacrifice and hope that will forever be remembered in the history of Ukraine, Russia and the world.