The Russian army has attempted to use armored vehicles to cross the border into the Ukrainian region of Kharkiv in the northeast of the country. This was reported by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, which has sent reinforcements to the region. According to the ministry, fighting continues in the border areas.
The target of the attack is said to have been the Ukrainian city of Vovchansk, about 40 kilometers northeast of Kharkiv, close to the border.
The governor of the Kharkiv region reports that Russian sabotage groups have tried to cross the border, but the attacks have been repulsed. The Ukrainian armed forces are said to have “not budged a bit”. Yet a Ukrainian military source told the Reuters news agency that the Russians have advanced about a kilometer into Ukraine. According to the source, Moscow wants to create a buffer zone of about 10 kilometers.
So far all attacks have been repelled, but they continue with varying intensity, the Ukrainian military says. There are currently no independent sources to confirm the information.
LOOK. Major fires in Kharkiv after previous Russian attacks
Serious situation
There has been speculation for months about a possible Russian offensive near Kharkiv. There are reports that Russian forces have already gathered several tens of thousands of troops there. The fact that the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense is communicating about the attack, and not the army staff as usual, indicates that the situation is serious. “Reservists are being brought in to reinforce that part of the front,” the ministry said.
Governor Oleh Synyehubov also says that the bombing of Vovchansk in Kharkiv has intensified. According to a local official, most people have fled the village with their own transportation, but authorities are also helping those who do not have a car to get out.
At night, the Russian artillery shelled the front sections of the Ukrainian positions to prepare the attack. Russian military blogger Rybar also described the fighting near Vovchansk: for the time being the aim is to expand the front and reconnoitre the enemy positions during the fighting.
According to Synyehoebov, the Russians do not have the resources to carry out an attack on the city of Kharkiv and the current attacks should be seen as a provocation.
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Kharkiv is Ukraine’s second city and is located a few dozen kilometers from the border with Russia. Before the war, the city had about 1.5 million inhabitants. The Russians took control of parts of Kharkiv at the beginning of the invasion, in February 2022. Since then, Ukraine has retaken parts of it.
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Tags: Ukraine repulses attack Russians crossed border armored vehicles advance Kharkiv War Ukraine Russia
