Ukrainian forces contain Russian attempts to advance near Vovchansk, military says
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Ukrainian forces have contained Russian attempts to advance near the town of Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast and are holding their positions, the military's 16th Army Corps reported on April 17.
"No positions were lost. Units of the Ukrainian Defense Forces are holding their designated lines," the 16th Army Corps said.
Vovchansk, located roughly 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the Russian border in Kharkiv Oblast and once home to around 17,000 residents, has recently been the focus of renewed Russian assault attempts.
Initially occupied in the first weeks of the full-scale invasion and then liberated in Ukraine's Kharkiv Oblast counteroffensive in 2022, Vovchansk became the site of some of the heaviest fighting in Ukraine when Russia attacked across the border in May 2024.
The ensuing battle saw Vovchansk largely erased from existence, but within a few weeks, Ukrainian forces stopped the offensive in its tracks within the city limits, preventing a deeper Russian push towards Kharkiv.
Over the past week, Russian troops have been building up forces in the Vovchansk area in an effort to take control of the town and push toward nearby settlements.
Their main efforts have focused on attempts to cross the Vovcha River and expand positions on its left bank to enable further advances toward surrounding areas, while also trying to consolidate positions in the southern part of Vovchansk.
As part of their efforts, Russian troops attempted an engineering reconnaissance mission in the area, during which Ukrainian forces destroyed an IMR-2 engineering vehicle and a UAZ vehicle using an FPV drone, according to the 16th Army Corps statement.
