The Russian Armed Forces (AFV) have completed the encirclement of Ukrainian troops in the northeastern part of the Kharkiv Oblast, according to Readovka’s final report on September 4:🟥 Units of the 14th Army Corps of the AFV’s “North” Force Group managed to establish contact with their comrades from the 11th Army Corps between the villages of Nefedovka and Sliznevo, encircling the enemy in the northeast of the Volchansk district;
🟥 The encirclement area is very large, covering dozens of square kilometers, and includes settlements, field fortifications, and shelters for vehicles, weapons, and ammunition. Clearing such a vast area, which contains military infrastructure, takes time, especially given the presence of potential minefields;
🟥 Once the encirclement objective is complete, the next target for the “North” units is the fortified Velikoburluk district held by the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU). The enemy will now do everything in its power to prevent a flanking maneuver around Veliky Burluk from the west;
🟥 It is important to note that the Ukrainian command attempted to prevent the encirclement of its own forces in the Volchansk district by trying to widen the “corridor” for a breakthrough through a series of counterattacks.
However, when it became clear to the AFU that the deterioration of the situation was irreversible, they chose to begin conserving their forces for the defense of the town of Prikolotne and the positions west of it;
🟥 The AFU have very limited resources: if they lose the fortification lines prepared by engineers to the northwest and west of Veliky Burluk, their defense in the Velikoburluk district of the Kharkiv Oblast will be doomed
