Ukrainian servicemen operating howitzers in the Kharkiv region, close to the Russian border, have been working around the clock to halt an aggressive incursion by Moscow’s troops. After months of grappling with critical shortages of artillery shells and other weapons, relief has finally arrived, giving Ukraine’s defenders the resources they need to mount an effective resistance.
The delay in receiving crucial military aid was due to the US Congress holding up billions of dollars in funding, a move that allowed Russian forces to advance further on the eastern front.
Pavlo, a gunner of Ukraine’s 92nd Separate Assault Brigade, underscored the difference the new influx of shells has made. “We were positioned in the Bakhmut area before; now we have been transferred here. It’s much ‘hotter’ here. We didn’t have shells there. Here, at least we have shells, they started delivering them. We have something to work with, to fight,” he said.
The fighting in the northern districts of Kharkiv is described as more intense compared to previous battles in Bakhmut, a town in eastern Ukraine that was seized by Russia last year after being devastated by prolonged conflict. Russian forces have recently pushed across the border, claiming to have captured about a dozen villages.
The town of Vovchansk, located just five kilometers (three miles) inside the border, has become the epicenter of this latest incursion. Currently, Ukrainian forces control approximately 60% of the town and are engaged in fierce house-to-house combat to fend off the Russian advances. Capturing Vovchansk would be Russia’s most significant gain since launching the assault, given that Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, lies a mere 70 kilometers away.
Vitalii, the commander of the brigade’s artillery unit, expressed confidence in their ability to hold the line with the continued supply of ammunition. “Yes, we will be getting ammunition because we are up against a large and serious enemy group,” he said. Vitalii elaborated on the broader strategic importance, stating, “If we can demonstrate now that we are able in such an extreme situation to stop the enemy’s big scale assault on Kharkiv and Kharkiv region, the enemy will not dare to think of attacking Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy or Poltava region.”
Officers pore over drone footage of Vovchansk, with smoke rising over different districts, to assess the situation below. Monitors are checked, calculations made.
Relevant articles:
– Ukrainian gunners finally get shells to stop Russians near Kharkiv, Reuters, 05/23/2024
– Ukrainian Gunners Finally Get Artillery Shells, Strategic News Global, 05/22/2024
– Russian drone hits police car on Kharkiv evacuation trip, Ukraine says, Yahoo News Canada, 05/22/2024
– China is the reason Russia has 10 times as many drones as Ukraine – UAV crew commander, Yahoo News Canada, 05/22/2024
– New Zealand Proposes 6.6% Cut In Defence Spending, Bharat Shakti, 05/22/2024
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