Almost 80% of Vovchansk's buildings destroyed, damaged in Russian atta

Details: Written by: The Kyiv Independent news desk; 28.Oct; Hits: 26

Almost 80% of buildings in Vovchansk have been destroyed or damaged after Russia launched its offensive against the town, a joint investigation by Bellingcat and AFP published on Oct. 28 showed.The once 17,000-strong town, located just 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the Russian border in Kharkiv Oblast, became heavily contested following Russia’s full-scale invasion.Vovchansk endured a Russian occupation until the 2022 autumn Ukrainian counter-offensive liberated the town, only to face heavy fighting again after Russia began a new push in May 2024, forcing many residents to flee their homes.Talking to journalists, the civilians recounted harrowing stories of escape from Russian occupiers, who, on occasion, deliberately targeted civilians during their attempts to flee.According to the report, a library, a school, and a church were among the many destroyed buildings.

The Kyiv Independent

The Kyiv Independent is Ukraine’s fastest-growing English-language media outlet, created in November 2021, just three months before the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Serve as the bridge between Ukraine and the world, delivering reliable news, context, and on-the-ground reporting.

More from the Author

Some 60% of all buildings in the town were destroyed, and 18% were partially damaged, Bellingcat and AFP said, citing satellite imagery. As of late September, only 22% of the buildings remained intact.Despite Russia’s surprise assault in May, the Russian offensive in northern Kharkiv Oblast has quickly bogged down, with Russian troops reportedly suffering heavy losses.Since then, the intensity of fighting has decreased somewhat compared to other sectors in Ukraine's east near Pokrovsk, Vuhledar, and Toretsk.According to the Ukrainian military, Russian tactics usually entail flattening towns and villages with artillery barrages and bombs before moving in to "capture" the ruined settlements.For example, no buildings were left intact in the Donetsk Oblast town of Toretsk as a result of the Russian onslaught, Anastasia Bobovnikova, a spokesperson of the Operational Tactical Group Luhansk, said on Oct.

Content Original Link:

https://kyivindependent.com/almost-80-of-vovchansks-buildings-destroyed-damaged-in-russian-attacks/

Log in to comment

INFO: You are posting the message as a 'Guest'

Name

Message

Enter code

Are you a Fella? Write down the text from above!

NAFO Public Education Forum

The purpose of NAFO-PEF is to engage in identifying and analyzing disinformation, formulating defensive strategies, and crafting proactive measures to counter and minimize its impact.

To support our efforts, you can check out our merchandise available on Buy Me a Coffee and our Bonfire Store. Every purchase directly helps fund the forum’s activities and our ongoing fight against disinformation.

Contact Us