Almost 80% of buildings in Vovchansk have been destroyed or damaged after Russia launched its offensive against the town, a joint investigation by Bellingcat and AFP published on Oct. 28 showed.
The once 17,000-strong town, located just 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the Russian border in Kharkiv Oblast, became heavily contested following Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Vovchansk endured a Russian occupation until the 2022 autumn Ukrainian counter-offensive liberated the town, only to face heavy fighting again after Russia began a new push in May 2024, forcing many residents to flee their homes.
Talking to journalists, the civilians recounted harrowing stories of escape from Russian occupiers, who, on occasion, deliberately targeted civilians during their attempts to flee.
According to the report, a library, a school, and a church were among the many destroyed buildings.
Some 60% of all buildings in the town were destroyed, and 18% were partially damaged, Bellingcat and AFP said, citing satellite imagery. As of late September, only 22% of the buildings remained intact.
Despite Russia’s surprise assault in May, the Russian offensive in northern Kharkiv Oblast has quickly bogged down, with Russian troops reportedly suffering heavy losses.
Since then, the intensity of fighting has decreased somewhat compared to other sectors in Ukraine's east near Pokrovsk, Vuhledar, and Toretsk.
According to the Ukrainian military, Russian tactics usually entail flattening towns and villages with artillery barrages and bombs before moving in to "capture" the ruined settlements.
For example, no buildings were left intact in the Donetsk Oblast town of Toretsk as a result of the Russian onslaught, Anastasia Bobovnikova, a spokesperson of the Operational Tactical Group Luhansk, said on Oct. 14.
George Ivanchenko
