The Russian Federation has slowed down its offensive in Kharkiv Oblast and is creating a buffer zone

The Russian Federation slowed down its offensive in Kharkiv Oblast. Photo: GETTY IMAGES

The pace of Russian offensive operations in the north of the Kharkiv region has slowed down over the past day.

This is stated in a report by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

ISW believes that Russian troops prefer to create a «buffer zone» in the border area, rather than a deeper advance into the Kharkiv region.

Several Ukrainian military officials reported on May 14 that, in their opinion, the situation in the Kharkiv region is slowly stabilizing. The General Staff announced that Ukrainian forces had begun «clearing» Vovchansk, striking visible Russian assault groups in the town.

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Several Russian and Ukrainian sources also reported that Russian troops are using a new tactic in this direction — small assault groups of no more than five people infiltrate Ukrainian positions and then combine with other small assault groups into a larger strike group.

Drone footage allegedly taken in Vovchansk shows Russian infantry operating within the settlement in small assault groups, confirming these reports, ISW notes.

At the same time, the use of small assault groups can contribute to increasing losses of Russian manpower and equipment and slowing down the overall pace of the offensive in this direction.

The Chief of the General Staff of Ukraine, Major General Anatolii Barhylevych, suggested that Russian troops lost up to 1,740 soldiers in this direction in the last day alone, which is a very high rate of losses.

ISW is unable to confirm this figure, but the probable level of casualties is consistent with the overall slowing of the offensive seen on 14 May.

«If the pace of Russian operations remains relatively low, Russian forces are likely to focus on securing new positions and building up a flank in Kharkiv Oblast by uniting factions in Liptsy and Vovchansk and creating a 'buffer zone' in the border area, rather than advancing further into the region than ISW previously estimated,” the report said.

Russian offensive on Kharkiv Oblast

We will remind you that Russian troops have increased shelling in the northern direction of the Kharkiv region. First of all, the enemy attacks the city of Vovchansk.

Reserve units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been sent to strengthen the defense in the Vovchansk direction. The military continues to hold back the enemy's advance.

Subsequently, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, confirmed that the Russian army had launched a counteroffensive in the Kharkiv direction. He noted that the military command knew about the enemy's plans for a new offensive and calculated the forces to respond to the attack.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy also reported on the strengthening of positions in the Kharkiv region, where defensive operations continue.

On May 13, the head of the Kharkiv regional state administration, Oleh Syniehubov, noted that the Russian army shelled more than 30 settlements in the Kharkiv region. Seven people were injured.