By continuing their offensive in the Kharkiv Region, the Russians aimed at rapid establishment a ‘buffer zone’ along the border with Ukraine.
This conclusion was reached by analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
Military experts have come to this conclusion, taking into account the relatively rapid pace of Russian troops' advance in Vovchansk and reports of the destruction of several bridges over key rivers.
In their opinion, Russian forces are trying to create a ‘buffer zone’ rather than penetrate deeper, as the institute had previously assessed.
The analytical report also states that Russian forces continued to make tactically significant advances north and northeast of Kharkiv on 13 May.
"The relatively rapid rate of advances in Vovchansk and their reported destruction of several bridges across key waterways within the settlement suggest that Russian forces are prioritizing the creation of a "buffer zone" over a deeper penetration, as ISW previously assessed," the analysts conclude.
Earlier, Apostrophe reported that the Russians occupied three more settlements in Kharkiv Region.