A Ukrainian counteroffensive in the country's eastern Kharkiv region rapidly freed territory from Russian control in September and sent Russian President Vladimir Putin's troops fleeing.
Roughly three months later, an official from a Ukrainian brigade that helped liberate the region has provided a new look into how Ukraine managed to take back one of the last Russian strongholds in Kharkiv: Vovchansk.
Shortly after announcing a counteroffensive in the southern Kherson region in late August, Ukraine launched its surprise push in September in the Kharkiv region. Ukraine said later that month that it had freed the vast majority of the region from Russian control.
Vovchansk is a Kharkiv town just three kilometers, or a little less than two miles, from the Russian border. Andrii Nesmiyan, press officer for Ukraine's 113th brigade, told The Kyiv Independent in an interview published Friday that Russian forces in Kharkiv "collapsed" upon facing pressure from Ukrainian troops.
One of Russia's lapses in its occupation of Kharkiv, according to Nesmiyan, was that it positioned its frontline in the region over hundreds of kilometers and did not build second or third lines of defense. And in Vovchansk, Russian soldiers did not take basic defense measures like preparing strong defensive lines behind the first line and positioning someone on a high point for "reconnaissance and snipers," Nesmiyan said.
On the other hand, Ukraine had a leg up in its efforts to retake Kharkiv because many of the soldiers in the brigade were locals and had personal knowledge of the cities and villages they were trying to free.
"We know all the back roads," Nesmiyan told The Kyiv Independent. "We know where to dig."
Additionally, Ukraine has adopted NATO standards of warfare while Russia's military is still largely centered on Soviet-era standards. This means that Russian troops' ability to adapt in difficult situations can suffer due to the strict control of Russian military officers, while Ukrainian platoons and battalions have the freedom to make decisions on how to achieve their objectives on the ground in real time, he said.
Vovchansk locals also provided some assistance to Ukrainian troops, though being caught doing so put them at risk of torture or death, Nesmiyan added.
Since the town was liberated in September, many residents have left over fears that they could see additional fighting, a remaining civilian told Radio Free Europe. The Ukrainian state news agency Ukrinform reported Friday that just 4,500 of Vovchansk's 17,000 residents were left and that the number of those who remain decreases every day.
The exodus of Vovchansk residents has coincided with stores, pharmacies and other businesses shutting down, according to Radio Free Europe.
Though Russians no longer occupy the town, Vovchansk has not been immune to the impacts of the war, which began on February 24 and continues to rage after more than nine months.
Russian missile attacks against Ukraine have left Vovchansk's dwindling population without heating services, Ukrinform reported Friday, citing city authorities.
Newsweek reached out to Russia's Defense Ministry for comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Zoe Strozewski is a Newsweek reporter based in New Jersey. Her focus is reporting on U.S. and global politics. Zoe ... Read more
