"Failed to break through": Russia aimed to seize Kharkiv and Sumy in June, according to reports.

Russian occupation forces were planning to launch a new offensive in June 2024 with the aim of capturing Kharkiv and Sumy. This was reported by "RBK Ukraine," citing its own sources in the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

A source revealed that the Russians completed their offensive plan by the end of May. The offensive was set to take place in the Sumy and Kharkiv directions from June 1 to June 15. The objective of the Russians was to seize the entire territory of Kharkiv and Sumy regions, including the regional centers.

"For the offensive operation, according to the source, Russia planned to deploy two army corps and one army. Thus, around 46,000 soldiers were moved to the Belgorod area, and 23,000 to the Sumy direction," the article states.

Journalists clarified that the first Russian strike was supposed to occur in the Kharkiv direction, and after 3-4 days, the offensive was to commence in the Sumy direction, advancing deeper into Ukrainian territory.

A source in the General Staff also indicated that, thanks to intelligence information, the Defense Forces managed to thwart Russia's plan.

Specifically, several Ukrainian brigades were redeployed to the first line of defense and subsequently to the state border.

"It was at that moment that the Russians began their offensive but were unable to break through beyond the first line of defense," the journalists noted.

The authors of the article emphasized that after the Russian army became bogged down in battles in the Kharkiv region, the Russian command shifted its focus to the Pokrovsk and Kurakhove directions.

Recall that on November 22, media reported that the Russian grouping in Ukraine currently numbers around 574-575 thousand.

On November 19, the commander of the intelligence unit of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Denis Yaroslavsky, stated that the Kharkiv counteroffensive of 2022 could have ended the war.