Russian troops are using "the maximum range of weapons" to attack the recently recaptured aggregate plant in the town of Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast, Kharkiv Group of Forces spokesperson Vitalii Sarantsev said on Sept. 30.
Describing the situation as "difficult," Sarantsev said Russian forces were continuously assaulting in the Kharkiv sector, and had made the Vovchansk plant its "number one goal."
Russian troops had been in control of the facility for several months before it was recaptured by Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) special forces. on Sept. 24., HUR previously reported.
"(The plant) is not a tactical target as such for (Russia). But at the same time, the loss of this facility was a very powerful blow to its image," the spokesperson said.
Speaking on national television, Sarantsev said that Russian forces are carrying out attacks against the plant with guided aerial bombs and "Solntsepek" multiple rocket launchers.
"In other words, (Russia) is following its standard practice of destroying what it could not capture," he added.
Ukrainian forces captured around 20 Russian soldiers and killed "several dozen" others during an operation to recapture an aggregate plant in the town of Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast, a member of Ukraine's military intelligence (HUR) claimed last week.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify these reports.
Vovchansk is an embattled town some 60 kilometers (37 miles) northeast of Kharkiv that has seen heavy battles since Russia launched a new offensive in the area in May.
While initially gaining ground, the Russian offensive in northern Kharkiv Oblast has quickly bogged down, with Russian troops reportedly suffering heavy losses.
The intensity of fighting has decreased somewhat compared to other sectors in Ukraine's east near Pokrovsk, Vuhledar and Toretsk.
Chris York
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