On Russian Military Activity Near Kharkiv

Moscow's Push to Drive Ukrainian Resources from Donetsk

Russia has launched an offensive in the direction of Ukraine’s second largest city Kharkiv. While the full scope and scale of this operation remains unknown at this time, initial activity near the small city of Vovchansk nearer to the Russian border suggests that the Russian military lacks the manpower to seize Kharkiv and may not event get to its more limited object of bringing the city under the threat of artillery and rocket fire. However, one objective that Russia has achieved is drawing Ukrainian reserves to another front and thinning out Ukraine’s defenses. That’s a dangerous development before Russia launches the most intense phase of its summer offensive.