The situation in Kharkiv region has escalated. It has been said for more than a month that the Russian army will try to capture Kharkiv – the former capital of Ukraine. And they talk about it so much and so loudly that a whole series of questions arises: why is the enemy actively disclosing its plans? Isn’t it in their interest for the attack to happen unexpectedly, catching the opponent off guard? Let’s take a closer look at what is happening.
The Real Picture
The situation was partially explained by the head of the Counter Disinformation Center of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Andriy Kovalov. First of all, we need to pay attention not to his rank, but to his position, to understand that this matter relates not only to direct combat strategy. Defense forces assure that as of today, the situation is under control.
Yes, the enemy is indeed active, and this is reflected in the following actions:
- attacks on the contact line have become more frequent;
- battle reconnaissance is being carried out;
- the number of troops and equipment from the Russian side has increased;
- some areas have been occupied by Russian units.
But Andriy Kovalenko notes that there is more noise than effect because all of this is accompanied by the information work of Russian war correspondents, who daily report breakthroughs tens of kilometers deep into Ukraine.
Experts believe that at this stage the main goal of the Russians is to cause panic. This is especially effective considering that in some areas of that direction there is no Ukrainian communication and internet. Taking advantage of the information vacuum, it is easy to provoke a great panic among the local population, which is one of the essential mechanisms of the fight.
Information – Disinformation
The situation is changing very rapidly, sometimes several times a day. The enemy is constantly trying to establish control over new territories, while Ukrainian units are trying to push them out. These “information swings” have a significant impact on Ukrainians, so it is important to responsibly approach the information we consume in order not to fuel the enemy’s panic mood. It is better to choose official sources as the main news channel. Perhaps the information will not be fully clarified in the first seconds, but it will be accurate after official confirmation. This will help protect oneself from emotional exhaustion, which Russia aims to achieve.
The vast majority of military experts believe that the situation near Kharkiv resembles attempts to create an illusion of an offensive in that direction to draw maximum Ukrainian resources there and then strike elsewhere. This is why a limited reserve of troops, equipment, and live forces is being utilized here. Both the Russian side and the Ukrainian units facing increased shelling are suffering losses on these fronts.
