Nearly ten thousand people were forced to leave their homes in the Kharkiv region, northeastern Ukraine, following a ground attack by Russian forces. “A total of 9,907 people have been evacuated,” said Governor Oleg Synegoubov, more than a week after the launch of the Russian assault, which Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned could be only the first wave of a larger offensive.
They fled Russian soldiers who managed to advance five to ten kilometers along the northeast border before being stopped by Ukrainian forces. Synegubov said Ukrainian armed forces repelled two attempts to break through the defenses overnight. But the situation is “under control”, the “defenders carrying out assaults and search operations in certain areas”, he said. Moscow attacked several towns, including Vovchansk, just five kilometers from the border.
Russian forces advance
“In the area of the city of Vovchansk, Ukrainian troops are strengthening their defense,” added Synegoubov. A day earlier, he said Russian forces had taken Vovchansk and all but 200 residents had fled because of the fighting.
Russian forces took 278 square kilometers between May 9 and 15, their largest gains since the end of 2022, according to an AFP calculation based on data from the ISW (Institute for the Study of War). “They have launched their operation, it may consist of several waves. And this is their first wave,” assured the Ukrainian president in an interview with AFP.
An offensive in preparation
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he expected, in an exclusive interview with AFP, a broader Russian offensive in the North and East which would aim to take Kharkiv, regions where Moscow is continuing its large-scale assault launched on May 10. “They have launched their operation, it can be made up of several waves. And this is their first wave,” assured Mr. Zelensky on Friday as Russia has just made its biggest territorial gains since the end of 2022.
nevertheless assured that, despite Russian advances in recent days in the Kharkiv region, the situation was better for its forces than a week ago, when Kremlin troops crossed the border by surprise. For him, Russia wants to attack the city of Kharkiv, the country’s second city, only a few dozen kilometers from the front. Moscow had already failed to take it in 2022 and Vladimir Putin said on Friday that he had no intention of attacking it “for the moment”.