Vovchansk (Вовчанськ) Chuhuiv Raion, Kharkiv Oblast

                               Ruski Mir                                        

Ukraine's Defense Ministry confirmed that Russian infantry groups have entered Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast and are trying to gain a foothold in the northern part of the city. The city is home to 17,459 people (before the War it was 20,484). Around 82% of the population are Ukrainian-speaking. Vovchansk was first settled in 1674 by Ukrainian migrants from Dnieper Ukraine and designated as a guarding settlement in the northern part of the so-called Wild Fields (Дике Поле - Dyke Pole). In April 1780 it was officially renamed as Vovchansk and became an administrative centre of Volchansk Uyezd in the Kharkov Governorate. 

The city has a number of cultural monuments. The Historical and Regional Museum in VovchanskThe Historical and Regional Museum in Vovchansk (42 Aviatsiina St) was founded in 1912, it is one of the oldest local history museums of the Kharkiv region. It was created in 1912 at the initiative of the scientist-archaeologist, tireless collector of local history materials, Vasyl Babenko (1877 — 1955). The museum's collection, ncludes over 4,000 exhibits. Unfortunately, during World War II, the museum was destroyed, but the collection was saved. Vovchansk was occupied by Russia during the opening days of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. It was retaken by Ukrainian forces on 11 September 2022 as part of a major counteroffensive in the Kharkiv Oblast. Despite these present the military actions, the museum staff had been actively working on its restoration and additional projects. The fate of the Museum and its staff are unknown, the Facebook page is no longer operational.

Faced with resistance that is preventing them from occupying the whole town immediately, Russians are now raining the entire place with cluster munitions to kill any residents that've managed to survive.