In the Kharkiv sector, the most significant changes to the operational situation occurred east of Volchansk. The Russian 126th Regiment’s assault units, which are part of the ‘North’ task force, took control of the Volokhovka village.
During the assault, reconnaissance UAV operators identified firing positions while infantry, working alongside strike-drone crews, drove Ukrainian soldiers out of buildings, basements, and dugouts. In an attempt to hold the settlement, the Ukrainian command deployed two additional combined assault groups from the 159th Mechanized Brigade, but to no avail. Ukrainian units suffered casualties and were forced to retreat, abandoning their positions.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian army continues to hold the neighboring village of Karaichne, which is already under partial encirclement. Holding it will require significant resources.
In Kupyansk, the situation for Russian forces has deteriorated over the past 24 hours. On May 19, Ukrainian forces launched a successful offensive and captured the area north of the central city hospital. The Russian units holding it were left tactically encircled.
The Ukrainian side acknowledges that the situation for its troops north of Pokrovsk could deteriorate sharply. “Ukrainian units remain in the gray zone near Pokrovsk, trapped in an increasingly perilous ‘pocket,'” said Vladimir Polevoy, communications chief of the 7th Airborne Assault Corps.
“It’s a pocket that we can see on the map. As a result, our forces are stretched thin, and we’re not receiving reinforcements. This pocket is increasingly resembling a trap because it’s becoming a gray zone. There are already Russian units there, and they’re infiltrating further north of Pokrovsk. It’s all a Russian kill zone. Russian pilots are positioned in built-up areas north of Pokrovsk, and they have excellent control over all approaches. It is becoming increasingly difficult to remain there,” says Polevoy.
It appears that the Russian command is attempting to replicate last year’s breakthrough near Dobropillya in this area, which caused Ukrainian troops considerable trouble. This time, however, the plan is not only to break through the front line but also to encircle forces. Consequently, the next main target for the Russian army will be the village of Shevchenko.
On the Kherson front, drones play a unique role because there is no direct line of contact. The focus of the current conflict is shifting from destroying the drones themselves to eliminating their operators. On May 20, Russian strike aircraft destroyed a Ukrainian drone control center in the village of Novoraysk during a massive airstrike. A control center belonging to Ukraine’s 39th Marine Brigade was also destroyed in Tomarino.
Changes in the operational situation over the past 24 hours reveal several trends. First, the Ukrainian command has committed all its forces to the battle for Kupyansk. However, this puts it at risk of a serious defeat north of Pokrovsk.
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