Over the last week, the Ukrainian forces have been pushing their way through, reclaiming key areas in the Kharkiv Oblast (Province) bordering the Donbas region under the control of Russians.
The Russians have retreated from Kharkiv – the second major pull back since the war started on February 24. In the initial phases, the Russians brought in their tanks to invade from the north of Kyiv but were halted about 50 km from the capital city and forced to return with heavy casualties.
Cities like Chernihiv, Irpin, Bucha in the north of Kyiv became a graveyard of Russian tanks as troops were forced to retreat after bloody battles.
Since then, the focus has been on the east and Kharkiv in the northeast, which shares a border with Russia and the Donbas region – critical for both sides.
Kharkiv is the lifeline of the Ukranian forces, ensuring supply lines as they continue to fight against all odds in parts of the Donbas that the Russians want to liberate.
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This is why the Russian assault on Kharkiv continues, as controlling part of the region will ensure Donbas is completely cut off from Ukraine.
Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest city, has been the epicenter of an intense battle since the conflict began and is critical for Russia’s future strategy in the Donbas region.
Kharkiv, which borders both Dontesk and Luhansk that form the Donbas region, is critical for both Ukraine and Russia.
Ukrainian forces are likely to launch offensives in parts of Donetsk in the Donbas region.
After the port town of Mariupol, the Russians took control of Severodonetsk, a city in the Luhansk part of the Donbas region.
The Russians are also in complete control of the coastline of the Sea of Azov, critical to ensuring they have connectivity from Crimea to Donbas.
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After having to retreat from the northern parts of Ukraine, the Russian forces have been focusing on occupying places in the south and east and looking at creating a land corridor from Crimea in the south of Ukraine, that Moscow annexed in 2014, to the Donbas region in the east. This will ensure an alternate supply line from the south to the east if Russia intends to be in physical occupation.
After suffering heavy losses in the north in the early phase of the invasion, the Russians turned their focus on firepower in the east and south of Ukraine. This is where the most heavy and intense fighting has taken place.
The Ukrainians have also launched a counter offensive in the south in Kheerson, which was expected to take the thrust of the Russian assaults to ensure a land corridor.
Months back, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that his country’s fate would be decided by the outcome of the conflict in the east and the south, since Russia is focusing on the region. In this context, Kharkiv becomes important for Ukraine as it could deny Russia complete occupation of the eastern front till the Ukrainian forces are able to hold on to it.
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