A month into Russia’s push across the border in northern Ukraine, Western weapons and Ukrainian reinforcements have largely stalled the attack. But they came too late to save one town, Vovchansk, where the city hall, a cultural center, countless apartment blocks and several riverside hotels are all now in ruins. A small town divided by the Vovcha River, Vovchansk was once a regional tourist attraction — a pleasant base from which to explore the chalk hills nearby. But it is also three miles from the Russian border, and when Russia began a cross-border offensive on May 10, it became Ukrainian forces’ stand-your-ground position. And a month of fierce fighting and relentless bombing by Russia has decimated the town, forcing almost everyone left there to flee.

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Persons: Vovchansk, ’, ”, Tetyana Polyakova Organizations: Russia Locations: Ukraine, Western, Vovchansk, Russian, Ukrainian, Russia