Key developments on Oct. 28: * Russia strikes downtown Kharkiv with FAB-500 bomb, damages key landmark * US won't impose new restrictions on Ukraine's use of American weapons if North Korea joins war, Pentagon says * 650,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or wounded in war against Ukraine, Zelensky says * Trump plans
The once 17,000-strong town, located just five kilometers from the Russian border in Kharkiv Oblast, became heavily contested following Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Key developments on Sept. 30: * Russia aims to draft 133,000 Russians during new round of fall conscription * Russia intensifies attacks on recaptured Vovchansk plant, uses 'maximum range of weapons,' military says * Commander of Ukraine's 72nd Brigade transferred amid battle for Vuhledar * Some details of Ukraine's victory plan will
"Russia is following its standard practice of destroying what it could not capture," Kharkiv Group of Forces spokesperson Vitalii Sarantsev said on Sept. 30.
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 on Sept. 25. Speaking to national television, a HUR special forces officer with the
Key developments on Sept. 24: * Ukraine regains control of Vovchansk aggregate plant, military intelligence says * Russia attacks Kharkiv's densely populated districts, killing 3, injuring 34 * Russia to maintain record high defense spending in 2025, Bloomberg reports * Around 60% of foreign parts in Russian weapons come via China, Ukraine says * 'Temporary'
HUR Chief Kyrylo Budanov was briefed on the "successful completion of the operation" earlier in the day, the agency said in a statement, adding the "extremely difficult" attack was carried out by HUR special forces.
Key developments on Aug. 29: * F-16 fighter jet crashes in Ukraine, military confirms * Fighting near Pokrovsk 'exceptionally brutal,' Syrskyi says * Russian troops forced to retreat in Vovchansk after failed assault preparations, Ukraine says * 'Systems are there, what is lacking is final go' — Kuleba urges partners not to delay Patriot
In a post on Telegram, the Kharkiv group of forces said Russian soldiers were traveling in two tanks and two other armored vehicles "as part of preparations for assault operations."
"In Vovchansk, the enemy has increased aerial reconnaissance and is preparing for assault operations," the military's statement read.
The withdrawal of Russian units was also seen near the villages of Lyptsi and Tykhe, where Russian armed forces suffered losses from Ukrainian troops.
In the first half of May, Russia opened a new front to its war against Ukraine in dramatic fashion. The two-pronged offensive on Kharkiv Oblast unfolded on the back of some of the most difficult months for Ukrainian forces, overstretched and depleted after a brutal winter and early spring campaign
The statement comes nearly a month after Russia opened a new front in Kharkiv Oblast’s border areas. Heavy fighting rages on for Vovchansk, a town occupied by Russian troops in 2022 – and now largely reduced to ruins by intense glide bomb attacks.
Russian forces use filtration camps to identify and document Ukrainians in occupied territories. Those who pass through them are often subject to torture, sexual violence, and other violations, sometimes before being forcibly deported to Russia.
Editor’s note: In accordance with the security protocols of the Ukrainian military, soldiers featured in this story are identified by first names and callsigns only. KHARKIV OBLAST – In battles fought under a sky swarming with enemy drones, even the most minimal movement, even the quickest dash from one house
Moscow deployed units from the Russian Defense Ministry's Africa Corps to fight alongside Russia's regular army and Storm-Z units comprised of convicts to attack the town of Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast over the past week, the U.K. Defense Ministry reported on May 24.
Key updates on May 23: * Syrskyi: Russia 'completely bogged down' in Vovchansk street fighting, deploys reserves * Ukraine's military intelligence confirms drone attack on Russia's Tatarstan Republic * Russian attack on Kharkiv kills 7, injures 21 * Ukraine downs another Russian Su-25 fighter jet in second shootdown reported in one day * Norway announces
Russia’s two-pronged assault in Kharkiv Oblast that began on May 10 is exploiting Ukraine’s troop shortage, forcing it to make difficult decisions about where to commit reserves. Two weeks into the offensive, one group of Russian forces is already fighting in the streets of the town of Vovchansk
Russian troops are "completely bogged down" in street battles for the town of Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast, having suffered "very heavy losses," Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi said on May 23.
Key updates on May 22: * UK defense secretary: Intelligence has evidence of Chinese lethal aid to Russia, world needs to 'wake up' * Sweden plans to allocate $7 billion in military aid to Ukraine between 2024-2026 * Source: SBU has a new weapon – Grad-equipped Sea Baby drones * Estonian PM Kallas: Russia is
Russian forces launched a drone at a police car during evacuation efforts near Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast, killing one officer and injuring another, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said on May 22.
Speaking on air to KYIV24 on May 22, Oleksii Kharkivskyi, the town's police chief, said there had been "several" incidents and investigations were "ongoing."
Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov said on May 20 that more than 10,500 civilians had been evacuated from Kharkiv Oblast amid the renewed Russian onslaught.
Ukraine's Defense Ministry confirmed on May 15 that Russian units had entered the northern parts of Vovchansk. The Ukrainian military said at the time it had prevented Russia from establishing a foothold deeper in the town.
Key developments on May 20: * Deputy governor: Ukraine controls around 60% of Vovchansk * General Staff: Ukraine fights off Russian attack near Starytsia village in Kharkiv Oblast * Governor: Ukraine strikes Russian base in occupied Luhansk Oblast * Russian media: Oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar Krai damaged after drone attack * Estonian PM: NATO
Ukrainian forces control about 60% of the town of Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast amid continuous Russian assaults, Roman Semenukha, deputy governor, said on national television on May 20.
Russian forces attacked Vovchansk at around 3:30 a.m. local time, killing a 63-year-old man. The other three men were injured due to the shelling.
“(Russian troops) attacked the area where local residents were resting” in Mala Danylivka, Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.
Two people were killed and two more were injured when a car with civilians trying to evacuate from Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast came under Russian fire, the Prosecutor General’s Office reported on May 18.
A 35-year-old man was killed, while a 60-year-old one was injured in recent Russian strikes, the Kharkiv Oblast Prosecutor's Office reported on May 17.
Key updates on May 17: * Ukrainian drones hit military facilities in Russia, Crimea amid Russian claims of over 100 drones downed * Zelensky says Russia's Kharkiv Oblast offensive advances as far as 10 km, halted by 1st defense line * Zelensky signs law amendments increasing fines for draft evaders, allowing some convicts
Russian troops were able to advance as far as 10 kilometers (6 miles) deep in some areas during their offensive in Kharkiv Oblast, but the front in the region has been stabilized, President Volodymyr Zelensky told journalists on May 16.
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