Clashes continue near Starytsia and Vovchansk, battle is taking place in area of Synkivka, - General Staff
As of 13.30 on 20 May 2024, the enemy was most active in the Pokrovsk direction. No combat engagements took place in the Lyman, Toretsk, Huliaipole and Orikhiv directions since the beginning of the day.
This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to the press centre of the General Staff.
As noted, the Russian aggressor continues to terrorise the civilian population in the Chernihiv and Sumy regions, shelling the areas of Novodmitrivka, Sopych, Popivka, Pavlivka, Mistky and Yelino with artillery.
Situation in the Kharkiv region
Two firefights continue in the Kharkiv direction, near the village of Starytsia and the town of Vovchansk. The enemy is receiving a fierce response. Information on enemy casualties is being updated. It has also been reported that Russian terrorists conducted an air strike near Lyptsi.
In the Kupiansk direction, fighting continues in the vicinity of Synkivka. The situation is under control. One attempt by the occupants has already been repelled. The invaders also used aircraft twice to attack our positions near Ivanivka.
Situation in the East
Two air strikes were conducted in the Lyman direction: the enemy fired from army helicopters near Novoliubivka and dropped four guided bombs near Terny. There were no firefights.
According to the General Staff, our soldiers are repelling an attack near Bilohorivka in the Siversk direction. The situation is under control. The enemy's attempt to move forward in the direction of Rozdolivka with the support of aviation failed. The occupiers conducted another air strike in the area of Ivano-Dariivka.
The number of hostile attacks in the Kramatorsk direction increased to six. The occupants tried to force our troops out of their positions near Ivanivske, Andriivka, Novyi, and Klishchiivka. One firefight each continues near Novyi and Klishchiivka. The situation is under control.
The situation in the Pokrovsk direction is hot again, with 22 attacks recorded so far. 12 of them are ongoing. The aggressor is most active near Sokol, Novopokrovske, and Netailove.
Situation in the South
In the Vremivka direction, the enemy continues to attempt to break through our defences in the vicinity of Staromaiorsk. Our soldiers successfully repelled three attacks.
In the Prydniprovsk direction, three enemy attempts to force Ukrainian defenders out of Krynky were also repelled. Our positions were not lost.
In other areas, the situation is currently unchanged.
Ukrainian defenders are repelling the Russian occupiers, keeping the enemy under fire control and doing everything possible to disrupt the enemy's criminal plans.
Attacks by Russian troops in the Kharkiv region
According to the Ministry of Defence, on the morning of 10 May 2024, Russian occupiers tried to break through the Ukrainian defence line in the Kharkiv region.
The head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, Oleh Syniehubov, said that Russian troops were firing in the north of the Kharkiv region. According to him, there is currently no threat to Kharkiv. Western media, citing their own sources, reported that the occupiers were allegedly planning to create a buffer zone and withdraw the Defence Forces 10 km from the border with Russia. President Zelenskyy assured that the Ukrainian military was ready for such enemy actions.
The White House said that the US does not expect any major breakthroughs from the Russian army's offensive in the north of the Kharkiv region.
According to the General Staff, as of 14.00 on 13 May, the enemy had partial success in the area of Lukiantsi. It was also reported that as of 23.00 on 13 May, Ukrainian defenders were combing the urban area of Vovchansk. The fighting continued and the situation remained under control.
The General Staff also noted that as of 10.00 a.m. on 14 May 2024, the Defence Forces had changed positions in the area of Lukianets in the Kharkiv region, and the combing of the urban area of Vovchansk was ongoing. As of the evening of 14 May, it was reported that the Defence Forces had moved to more favourable positions in the areas of Lukiantsi and Vovchansk to save the lives of the military. The head of the Main Department of the National Police in the Kharkiv region, Tymoshko, noted that as of the morning of 15 May 2024, the situation in Vovchansk in the Kharkiv region was extremely difficult. The enemy is holding positions on the streets of the city.
In the afternoon of 15 May, the General Staff reported that the Defence Forces had partially driven the enemy out of Vovchansk. The nightly report of the General Staff stated that the Ukrainian Armed Forces continued to carry out defensive and stabilisation measures in Vovchansk. It was also reported that on 16 May, Ukrainian soldiers conducted counterattacks in the area of Vovchansk.
Earlier, the deputy head of the RMA Semenukha said that as of 20 May, the Ukrainian Armed Forces controlled 60% of the city of Vovchansk. The RMA claims that almost every street in Vovchansk is being fought over.
