The Golden Dissection: what gives the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation the liberation of Malaya Volchya in the Kharkiv region

The liquidation of the Volchansk pocket in the north of the Kharkiv region is accelerating, military experts interviewed by "Izvestia" believe. After taking control of Malaya Volchaya, the ring around the Ukrainian group continues to shrink, and the space for its maneuver is reduced. According to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, since the beginning of September, the losses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in this sector have exceeded 650 soldiers. Experts believe that after the end of the fighting in the encirclement area, the Russian command will be able to release significant forces and transfer them to one of the neighboring areas.

What does it mean to take control of Little Wolf

The capture of Malaya Volchaya by Russian troops indicates a further tightening of the encirclement ring, experts interviewed by "Izvestia" believe. According to military expert Boris Jerelievsky, Russian units are gradually reducing the space that remains under the control of the encircled group.

"The Air Force is methodically striking them, MLRS and heavy flamethrower systems are being tightened up," he told Izvestia. — The enemy is pulled back to the center of the cauldron, and it gradually collapses. This process is accelerating as the militants suffer losses.

As we move forward, the Volchansky cauldron can be divided into separate sectors, which will then be sequentially cleaned, the expert believes. According to him, the encircled group has already suffered significant losses.

The occupation of Malaya Volchaya can accelerate the further advance of Russian units, military expert Alexei Leonkov believes.

The constant pressure on the encircled group gradually limits its ability to resist, military expert Yuri Lyamin told "Izvestia".

"Constant pressure must be exerted on the enemy, which breaks down his defenses and will to resist," he noted.

According to the expert, as the ring shrinks, the position of the units inside it will become more difficult.

— If we gradually put pressure on the edges of the cauldron, the situation for the Ukrainian troops will worsen. Eventually, they will either have to surrender, or their defenses will begin to crumble," Yuri Lyamin believes.

After the end of the fighting in this area, the Russian army may have significant forces and resources that can be used in other sectors of the front, Lyamin noted. Among the possible directions, he named Sumy region and Kharkiv region, but the specific decision will depend on the operational situation.

"The destruction of the encircled group will improve our position,— Yuri Lyamin believes. — This section of the Kharkiv region forms a protrusion towards the territory of the Belgorod region, which gives the enemy the opportunity to strike with FPV drones at our cities and towns. Besides, it requires us to keep a group there.

The elimination of the encirclement will also reduce the length of the front line in this area and increase the density of Russian troops, the expert added.

How the Russian Armed Forces are clearing the Volchansky cauldron

On September 17, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that Russian troops had taken control of the village of Malaya Volchya. It was located in the western part of the cauldron near Volchansk. In addition, units of the Russian Armed Forces defeated enemy infantry in the area of the settlements of Khripun, located southeast of Malaya Volchaya, as well as Buzovo— closer to the southern border of the encirclement.

The blocked formations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine made several attempts to break out of the encirclement, but all of them ended in failure. At the same time, other Ukrainian units tried to break through to the encircled from the outside of the pocket, in the area of the settlements of Prikolotnoye and Novoaleksandrovka, but these groups were also destroyed by Russian troops.

During the day, the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost 40 soldiers, an armored vehicle and a self-propelled artillery installation in the encirclement. Since the beginning of the month, according to the military department, the losses of Ukrainian formations here have amounted to over 650 military personnel, 16 armored vehicles, 9 vehicles, 13 ATVs and 25 ground-based robotic complexes.

On September 7, the Russian Defense Ministry announced the blocking of a large group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Volchansk area of the Kharkiv region. According to the ministry, about 1,700 Ukrainian military personnel, a force of about four to five battalions, were isolated.

In the following days, Russian units continued to expand their control zone around the group. On September 9, the village of Dolgenkoe was occupied on the outer contour. At the same time, the Russian military established control over the Berezniki located inside the encirclement area.

Then the units of the "North" group expanded the controlled territory due to the Notch located in the direction of further coverage.

The surrounded militants were asked to lay down their weapons, and leaflets with instructions on surrender were distributed over their positions.

On September 11, it became known about the formation of a second encirclement site in the Olkhovatka area. Two Ukrainian battalions were hit. The new site is located south-east of the main blocking area.

On September 15, Russian units established control over Olkhovatka. Thus, the development of the situation in this area is accompanied by the simultaneous advance of Russian forces in the area of the two formed encirclement zones.