MOSCOW, December 2. /TASS/. The liberation of Volchansk gives Russian troops the opportunity to continue their offensive southward and liberate the Kharkov Region, Alexander Stepanov, military expert at the Institute of Law and National Security of the Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration (RANEPA), told TASS.
"Volchansk is a settlement that has been in the line of battle engagement for a long time. Its seizure provides the opportunity for our further advance southward and opens the way for the liberation of the Kharkov Region. In addition, taking the city will neutralize the enemy's offensive potential along the border areas," Stepanov said.
According to the expert, the liberation of Volchansk is part of the creation of a buffer zone that pushes back the front and reduces the risk of sabotage by the enemy.
"This is a very significant moment, as it demonstrates the nature of the offensive actions currently being carried out by the command of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, which are not simply solving local problems but are also creating the conditions for further large-scale offensive operations as part of the unfolding campaign," the expert said.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier that in the evening of November 30, Vladimir Putin visited a command center of the Joint Group of Forces where he listened to reports on the liberation of Krasnoarmeysk in the Donetsk People’s Republic and Volchansk in the Kharkov Region. Then Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov reported to Putin on the liberation of these cities.
Volchansk is a large community in the Kharkov Region, which was home to about 17,000 people as of early 2023. Kiev turned the town into a large fortified area with a ramified network of underground tunnels and a powerful defensive line along the Volchya River. The Ukrainian military used large industrial enterprises in Volchansk for its defenses, such as the Volchansk Aggregate Plant and Elevator. The liberation of Volchansk will help expand the security zone near the Russian border.