UKRAINE, KHARKIV OBLAST, Jan. 23 — Russian troops advanced in Synelnykove, a village northeast of Vovchansk, and pushed toward T-2104 highway, reported DeepState, an OSINT war monitoring group.

T-2104 highway connects Vovchansk, the largest city north of Kharkiv oblast, with Kharkiv.

On Dec. 25, 2025, DeepState reported that Russian troops advanced in Vovchansk and in the village of Vilcha, south of the city. Senior lieutenant of the Defence Forces with a call sign Alex also confirmed that Russian troops entered Vilcha. 

The Russian forces are attempting to bypass Vilcha and other settlements near Vovchansk, Viktor Trehubov, a spokesperson of a military group responsible for the Kharkiv oblast, told Ukrinform, a Ukrainian media outlet, on Jan. 23. Still, Trehubov did not say whether Russian forces had entered Vilacha. 

He also added that the cold weather complicates the situation on the Vovchansk axis. 

“All the rivers are completely frozen, so they are no longer an obstacle for the small assault groups,” said Trehubov. 

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