Weekly Ukraine war summary: Russia captures Vuhledar, battles continue for aggregate plant in Vovchansk, AFU deploys net guns against drones

The situation remains tense in the Pokrovsk direction and on the northern flank of the Vuhledar bulge. Russian troops are trying to flank Kurakhove and Selydove, securing positions in the tree lines south of the latter and capturing Marynivka to the northeast. They are also destroying civilian infrastructure in the city of Pokrovsk. Ukrainian fortifications in the Hirnyk area are described as being incomplete and lacking protection against Russian UAV threats.

In the Bakhmut direction, however, Ukraine is carrying out counterattacks. Thanks to its reserves and the large-scale use of drones, Ukrainian forces have managed to push Russian troops back to the Siverskyi Donets-Donbas canal, east of the village of Stupochky near Chasiv Yar. At the same time, Russian forces are reportedly advancing again and trying to secure positions closer to the canal in the Andriivka and Klishchiivka areas, south of Bakhmut. In the Siversk bulge, the Russian MoD announced the capture of Verkhniokamianske — this came as puzzling news to “surprised” Russian fighters in the area, presumably because they could see for themselves that the battle was far from over. Nevertheless, Russia’s Defense Minister Andrey Belousov sent a congratulatory telegram to the 6th Motor Rifle Brigade for “liberating” the settlement.

The Russian MoD also claims to have captured Nelepivka in the Toretsk direction. Meanwhile, in Toretsk itself, almost no intact buildings remain due to the effects of constant shelling. According to the Ukrainian open source intelligence project DeepState, Russian forces are advancing and securing positions in the city. Russia’s MoD also reported the capture of Makiivka in the Luhansk Region. DeepState confirmed that Russian forces have captured Nevske in the Lyman direction and made gains near Kruhlyakivka in the Kupiansk direction.

Russian forces have also become more active in the north of Ukraine’s Kharkiv Region, launching suicidal assaults in attempts to recapture the aggregate plant in Vovchansk, which was cleared by Ukrainian special forces last week. Several Russian MT-LB vehicles (1, 2) “packed” with infantry were destroyed in these assaults. Meanwhile, Russian forces reportedly recaptured the village of Starytsia near Vovchansk — a settlement they had previously taken during the early stages of the Kharkiv offensive but which Ukrainian forces later reclaimed.