The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces recognized a "tactical success" of the Russian army in the northeastern Kharkiv region, reported Reuters, quoted by BTA.
Fourteen of the twenty-two attempts by the Russians to advance in the area are ongoing, said the summary, published after midnight today. Fighting in the Vovchansk region continues, with the Russian army having thrown in "significant forces" to capture the city, the Ukrainian General Staff added.
Russia claims to have taken control of at least nine border villages in Kharkiv Oblast. Ukraine, for its part, says it is repelling attacks and fighting to maintain control over these settlements.
Several Russian media reported that the Russian army had entered Vovchansk. However, according to the Ukrainian army, the fighting is taking place in the vicinity of the city.
The claims of both sides in the conflict have not been independently verified.
On Friday, the Russian army invaded the Kharkiv region, opening a new, northeastern front in the 27-month-long war between the east and the south, Reuters notes. Kharkiv, the second most populous Ukrainian city, is located 30 kilometers from the border with Russia.
Vovchansk is 4 kilometers from the border and 45 from Kharkiv. It is the main target of the Russian offensive, along with Liptsi, a city that is 7.5 kilometers from the border and 20 from Kharkiv.
According to the latest data, nearly 6 thousand local residents have already been evacuated from the border areas, announced the head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, Oleg Sinegubov.
On Saturday evening, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that halting the Russian offensive in the northeastern region was now "task number one" for the armed forces of his country.
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Май 13, 2024 04:30 173