How Russia’s Invasion Flattened a Ukrainian Border City

An investigation by Bellingcat and AFP documents the near-total devastation of Vovchansk, Ukraine, combining satellite imagery and open-source videos with interviews to show that roughly 60% of buildings are destroyed and 18% damaged following Russia’s May 2024 offensive; it highlights the use of glide bombs (including FAB-500), intense shelling, disputed claims of an ODAB-9000 strike, and shifting control of the town, while detailing the human toll on residents and the continuing dangers despite a recent reduction in fighting.