The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has concluded that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin wants his occupation forces to capture the Ukrainian cities of Chasiv Yar and Vovchansk as soon as possible.
Putin has chosen priority targets for the Russian army in Ukraine
Western analysts noted that the Russian occupiers have recently stepped up their efforts to capture the operationally critical city of Chasiv Yar, taking advantage of offensives in the north of Kharkiv region and eastern Ukraine and creating greater pressure on the Defense Forces of Ukraine.
What is essential to understand is that Russian soldiers could not achieve significant tactical success in the Chasiv Yar area after conducting a company mechanised assault on the eastern outskirts of the city on April 4 and did not conduct similar mechanised assaults in this area until May 17.
The April 4 assault was followed by an intensification of Russian offensive operations near Chasiv Yar, and recent Russian mechanised assaults in the area likely indicate a general intensification of Russian efforts to capture the city.
As foreign experts note, capturing Chasiv Yar is important for the Russian army from an operational point of view. It would provide Russian troops with advantageous positions for further offensive operations on Kostyantynivka and Druzhkivka.
What is important to understand is that these cities, which form the southern part of the Ukrainian defense belt, are the basis of Ukraine's defense in the Donetsk region.
Vovchansk is also a target for Russia
The ISW team also draws attention to the fact that, as of today, the Russian army is prioritising the capture of Vovchansk, because this Ukrainian city is quite possibly one of the tactical objectives of the first phase of offensive operations in the north of Kharkiv region.
It is Vovchansk that can provide the invaders with a bridgehead close to the Russian rear for the preparation and initiation of the second phase of the Russian offensive.
However, it is not clear whether the second phase of the Russian offensive operation in the north of the Kharkiv region will be the priority of Russia's operational goal — to expand the desired "buffer zone" along the border, or whether Russia's operational goal is to advance within the effective range of artillery to Kharkiv and its surroundings, analysts note.
