The forces of the Russian army that launched an offensive on Kharkiv in this round are the northern cluster, which can also be called the "N cluster".
The northern cluster is a new cluster formed by the Russian army after the redivision of the military district, based on the troops under the jurisdiction of the Leningrad Military District; Its mission is to be responsible for the offensive and defensive operations on the northern border outside the main battlefield of Ukraine, with a front of nearly 1,000 kilometers in the mission area; The commander of the cluster is General Lapin.
Because the Leningrad Military District was formed as a new military district after the Western Military District was separated from the Western Military District and merged with the Joint Strategic Command of the Northern Fleet, the units under the jurisdiction of the Northern Cluster formed on the basis of this military district were "separated" from the Western Army.
After several days of fierce fighting in the Kharkiv direction, we roughly estimate the number of combat units in the northern cluster participating in the battle and deploying the following:
the 11th Tank Regiment and the 79th Motorized Infantry Regiment of the 18th Motorized Infantry Division of the 11th Army; the 7th Motorized Infantry Regiment and the 9th Motorized Infantry Regiment of the 11th Army; 6th Motorized Infantry Brigade of the 138th Army; 2nd Special Operations Brigade; the newly formed 44th Motorized Infantry Regiment of the 72nd Motorized Infantry Division of the 41st Army; 47th Tank Regiment of the 153rd Guards Tank Division, West Akhmat Battalion in Chechnya, etc.
Since the cluster has just been formed, many of its subordinate units are still in other clusters, and there are many new units, so the deployment information of the above-mentioned units is for reference only, and of course not all of the above-mentioned units are involved in offensive operations.
Because it has been found that the Russian army has only used a few battalion-level units in the actual offensive, the Russian army has not yet used the main forces of the northern cluster to participate in the battle - the Ukrainian army's assessment of the Russian army also believes that this is the case.
The ground offensive of the Russian army's northern cluster began on May 10 and was divided into two operations, the Eastern and Western Route Armies, which had previously projected a large amount of firepower through the Aerospace Forces and artillery and drone units.
It is now confirmed that the offensive of May 10 occupied 5 settlements, of which 3 were occupied in the direction of the Western Route Army, namely the villages of Striletcha (population of more than 1,600 before the war), Pilina (population of more than 200 before the war), and Borisivka (population of more than 500 before the war);
The Eastern Route Army occupied two villages, namely the villages of Pletenivka (population of more than 100 people before the war) and Ogirtsev villages (population of more than 200 people before the war).
In addition, in terms of enemy annihilation data, the results reported by the northern cluster were: 170 Ukrainian soldiers killed and wounded, and 34 prisoners.
It can be seen from the results and positions of the Russian army's breakthrough that the Russian army in the first day of the offensive mainly occupied villages along the border line, and there are relatively large villages among these villages, not too small settlements.
During the offensive on May 11, the two armies of the Russian army continued to break through and confirmed the occupation of 4 settlements, of which 3 were occupied in the direction of the Western Route Army, namely Krasne (population of several dozen before the war), Morokhovetsy (population of several dozen before the war), and Olnikov (population of less than 10 before the war)
The Eastern Route Army occupied 1 in the south-of-the-country village of Gatyche between Pretenivka and Ogiltseve (population 500 before the war).
In terms of the results of the annihilation of the enemy, the Russian army's northern cluster counted 100 Ukrainian soldiers killed and wounded on the same day.
Judging from the settlements and locations occupied by the Russian army on this day, the Western Route Army only pushed forward in the direction of the situation, and took a series of small settlements before the border line, which gradually "thickened" the occupied area; In the direction of the Eastern Route Army, it is to flatten the battle line, and it is also a homeopathic squeeze.
During the offensive on May 12, the Russian army did not announce the capture of the settlement, but the number of casualties increased to 250, and the intensity of the fierce fighting increased significantly.
Among them, in the direction of the Western Route Army, the Russian army continued to squeeze south, began to advance in the direction of Helibok (pre-war population of 1,200 people), Lukyantsy (pre-war population of 1,200 people), and engaged in fierce battles with the Ukrainian army.
In the direction of the eastern road, the Russian army pressed into the city of Voltsaskk to fight.
After three days of fighting, the Russian army's significant advance in the border area also made its combat objectives quickly clear.
Among them, the target of the Russian army on the west route pointed to Lipzi, which had a population of 4,000 before the war; The target of the Russian army on the eastern route was Volchask, which had a population of 17,000 before the war.
These two points are crucial for the Russian army to control the border buffer zone and further advance in the direction of Kharkiv.
But after the initial chaos, reinforcements of the Ukrainian army are also in place one after another, and the Ukrainian army has built relatively many fortifications around Lipzi; And Voltsaskk itself is a "city of 10,000 people" with the conditions for delayed resistance, so the Russian army is advancing slowly, but it is still advancing.
By May 13, the Russian army continued to go deeper, and captured the village of Bugruvatka (population of dozens before the war) on the side of the Right Army, and 135 Ukrainian soldiers were killed and wounded on the same day.
At this point, the Russian army confirmed that it had taken 4 settlements on the side of the Right Route Army, and stormed the city of Volchask, gradually occupying the northern city district.
On the left army, it was confirmed that it had taken 6 settlements and captured the villages of Helibok and Lukiyanci, about 4 kilometers from Lipzi.
Now it will be interesting to see when the Russian army will control and confirm the control of the village of Hecun and the village of Lu, as well as the offensive operations in the city of Voltsask and the Liptsy Line.