UKRAINE, KHARKIV OBLAST, Jan. 19 — Over Jan. 18, Russian forces attempted to use their numerical advantage and break through the defenses of the Ukrainian forces in northern Kharkiv oblast, said the Joint Forces Task Force.

Russians tried to attack in Vovchansk, near Hrafske, Vovchanski Khutory, and Zybyne in the Vovchansk district and near Dehtiarne and Kruhle in the Chuhuiv district.

Vovchansk, a city north of the Kharkiv oblast, was one of the main targets of a Russian offensive in May 2024. Currently, the city is completely destroyed, and combat clashes are still ongoing there.

At the beginning of January, Viktor Trehubov, spokesman for the military group responsible for Kharkiv oblast, said that Russian forces plan to go around Vovchansk and advance to Lyman, reported RBC Ukraine.

On Jan. 12, the DeepState OSINT war monitoring group reported on Russian advances in Vovchansk and near Vilcha village, located south of Vovchansk.

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