Situation on Pokrovsk front remains most tense with combat clashes ongoing

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported on Facebook that fighting continues intensely on the Pokrovsk front as of 10:00 on 15 June. The situation is especially dire in this region, with Ukrainian and Russian forces clashing 112 times on 14 June alone.

According to updated information, Russian forces launched six missile attacks using 17 missiles, conducted 33 airstrikes (including dropping 56 aerial bombs), and fired over 3,000 times, including 104 barrages from multiple-launch rocket systems.

Since the beginning of 15 June, there have been 31 combat clashes. The Russians carried out 12 airstrikes using 19 aerial bombs and fired on Ukrainian positions 547 times. Additionally, 18 kamikaze drones were used by Russian forces for attacks.

Here are the specific details of the fighting on various fronts:

Kharkiv Front: Russian troops attempted three times to dislodge Ukrainian forces. An attack near the village of Tykhe was repelled, and fighting continues in two locations near Vovchansk.

Kupiansk Front: Five combat clashes are ongoing as Russian forces try to drive Ukrainian units from Petropavlivka, Andriivka, Hrekivka, and Nevske. The situation remains under control.

Siversk Front: Unsuccessful Russian attacks occurred near Rozdolivka, with fighting continuing in the area.

Pokrovsk Front: The most intense fighting is reported here, with three combat clashes occurring in Novooleksandrivka, Yevhenivka, and Novoselivka Persha. Ukrainian forces repelled three attacks and continue efforts to stabilize the situation and inflict damage on Russian forces.

Kurakhove Front: Ukrainian defenses successfully repelled five Russian attempts to break through near Pobieda and Paraskoviivka.

Vremivka Front: Ukrainian forces are repelling an ongoing attack near Staromaiorske, with four combat clashes already occurring near Urozhaine and Vodiane. Russian forces suffered losses and are regrouping.

Orikhiv Front: Russian forces made two unsuccessful attempts to push Ukrainian troops from positions near Mala Tokmachka and Robotyne, with Russian losses being confirmed.

Overall, Ukrainian defense forces continue to stabilize the front lines and inflict significant damage on Russian forces across multiple fronts.

Russia hits Volnovakha district with cluster munitions

On 15 June 2024, a Russian attack on the village of Ulakly in the Volnovakha district of Donetsk Oblast resulted in the deaths of three civilians and injuries to five others, according to the Donetsk Oblast Prosecutor’s Office.

The Russian army used a Smerch multiple launcher rocket system with cluster munitions, hitting a residential area. A 30-year-old man and a 39-year-old woman were killed instantly. A 32-year-old resident succumbed to fatal injuries during transportation to the hospital. Five individuals, aged between 27 and 63, sustained varying degrees of injuries while near a local store. They have been hospitalized and are receiving medical care. The attack also caused damage to several houses and cars in the settlement.

Russia suffered enormous losses on the Kharkiv front, a NATO source suggests

Russia's attempt to advance in Kharkiv Oblast has led to "enormous" losses, European Pravda reported on June 13, citing an anonymous NATO official during a defense ministers meeting in Brussels. Russia initiated a new offensive on May 10 in northern Kharkiv Oblast, deploying as many as 30,000 troops, according to a Ukrainian official. Despite this significant force, Russian troops have advanced less than 10 kilometers into Ukrainian territory and have failed to seize control of Vovchansk, a city with a pre-2022 population of around 17,000.

The NATO official noted the heavy toll on Russian forces, suggesting they suffered nearly 1,000 casualties per day in May, labeling the figure as "enormous." President Volodymyr Zelensky, in an interview published on May 25, stated that Russian losses were eight times higher than those of Ukraine's Armed Forces during this period.

Ukrainian reports claim Russian losses in Ukraine surpassed 500,000 by May 25, although this figure could not be independently verified. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, speaking at the Ramstein group meeting in Brussels, estimated Russian losses at 350,000 killed or wounded since February 2022. Moscow rarely comments on its casualty numbers.

The Russian offensive in Kharkiv Oblast has stalled and is widely regarded as unsuccessful. Despite the large-scale deployment of troops and resources, the minimal territorial gains and substantial casualties indicate a strategic failure.

Russia is preparing for the second wave of offensive in Kharkiv region

The first wave of Russia's offensive in the Kharkiv region has been halted, and the Armed Forces of Ukraine are actively counterattacking. However, the Russian forces are reinforcing their positions and preparing for a second wave of the offensive, as reported by military analyst Oleksiy Hetman on the FREEDOM TV channel.

Hetman explained that Moscow is attempting to expand the front to divert Ukrainian Defense Forces from the eastern regions. "The Kharkiv and Sumy directions are additional front line sections created to approach the cities of Kharkiv and Sumy to within range of barrel artillery fire. The goal was to turn these cities into a gray zone or at least keep them under artillery fire," he said.

According to Hetman, the Russian forces have established two bridgeheads at the frontline, 13-15 km in depth and 3-5 km in width. It appears likely that the Russians plan to expand their positions. However, capturing Kharkiv seems improbable.

"If you connect the lines, it’s about 40 kilometers. This is a place where a division can attack, and there is more than a division there. They have enough forces that they are pulling up. There is information, although unconfirmed, that conscripts are being used there, not just mobilized soldiers or contractors. They are preparing, and most likely, a second wave has started or will start there. However, they clearly understand that it is impossible to capture or encircle cities with millions of people," Hetman stated.

He also noted that Russian forces began moving a month ago, opening new fronts, which could be related to "purges" in the Russian Ministry of Defense.