UKRAINE, KHARKIV OBLAST, June 18 — The Russian army is trying to capture positions in the Kharkiv direction that the Ukrainian military has regained over the past two weeks, said the commander of the Achilles assault brigade, Yurii Fedorenko, on Ukrainian TV on June 18.

The Ukrainian military has stabilized the frontline north and northeast of the Kharkiv region, where Russia launched a new ground offensive in May. Currently, heavy fighting is ongoing in and around Vovchansk and on the Lyptsi axis.   

“Over the past two weeks, the Ukrainian army pushed the enemy out of several positions and securely took them. At the same time, the enemy is constantly trying to regain those positions by assaulting them, quickly replenishing its reserves. That is why combat is extremely intense at the moment,” said Fedorenko. 

According to Oles Maliarevych, deputy commander of the Achilles strike drone battalion, Russian troops are trying to hold on to the positions they have seized over the past month. 

In recent days, the 92nd Brigade and other units working nearby have deoccupied some of the territories in the Kharkiv direction. Maliarevych said that they had taken the proper tactical steps and took over several essential positions near Hlyboke village.

Yurii Fedorenko said there is no further advance of Russian troops in Vovchansk. 

“The dynamics of combat operations and aviation use remains extremely high in Vovchansk. This is due to the operation of our air defense systems, which, unfortunately, are not in sufficient quantity to close the airspace as the Russian Federation does fully,” said Fedorenko.

The General Staff reported that the Ukrainian troops repelled 10 Russian assaults in Vovchansk. In total, there were 14 attacks in the Kharkiv direction near Vovchansk and one near Lyptsi.

Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, said on June 12 that in the Kharkiv direction, the Russian army is conducting unsuccessful offensives, trying to advance deep into Ukrainian positions and create a “safety belt” for their forces.

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