Commander-in-Chief Syrskyi: The Russian invaders plan to capture Vovchansk and advance further into the Ukrainian rear

The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Oleksandr Syrskyi has been working in the units conducting combat operations in the Kharkiv region for several days. According to him, the Russians expanded the zone of active hostilities by almost 70 kilometers so that Ukraine was forced to use an additional number of brigades from the reserve.

Russian troops began the offensive much earlier than planned, because they noticed the overturning of Ukrainian units. However, the enemy failed to break through the defense.

Now the Russian occupiers have focused on the direction of Strilecha — Lypky and on the capture of Vovchansk with further access to Bilyi Kolodyaz and the deployment of an offensive in the rear of the Ukrainian troops.

For this purpose, Russia created and significantly strengthened the operational-tactical group of troops "North", which included combat units of the 6th Army, 11th and 44th Army Corps.

"There will be heavy battles ahead and the enemy is preparing for it. Under such circumstances, we must prevent the further advance of the enemy troops by steadily maintaining the occupied lines and positions, inflicting maximum losses on him with air strikes, missile systems, artillery and tank fire, as well as creating conditions for defeat by the actions of mobile assault groups and units with attacks to the flank and rear from different directions," Oleksandr Syrskyi wrote.

And he added that his work was also aimed at using the Ukrainian advantage in attack UAVs in combination with the use of EW and artillery, regrouping troops, simplifying the system of comprehensive support.

He also checked with his head all the units that are preparing for defense in the Sumy direction.

Russian offensive on Kharkiv region

On the morning of May 10, Russia launched a new offensive in the Kharkiv region, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky announced. He emphasized that the Defense Forces knew about the plans of the occupiers in the region and were preparing a counterattack. Later, the General Staff of the Armed Forces reported that the occupiers "wedged themselves into the defense." The operational environment remains complex and dynamically changing.

In the northern part of the city of Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region, where active hostilities continue, the Russian invaders are taking civilians captive. It is known about the first shootings.

Attack on Sumy Oblast

The main intelligence department of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine expects that the Russians, after active actions in the Kharkiv region, will launch an offensive on Sumy in order to stretch the reserves of Ukrainian troops and distract them from participating in hostilities in other regions. In the Sumy region, the evacuation of border settlements continues, and on May 13, residents of Bilopillia and Vorozhba began to be evacuated.