Evacuations ongoing as Russian strikes increase in Kharkiv Oblast

Civilians continue to be evacuated from northern Kharkiv Oblast as massive artillery and air strikes increase in the region, Kharkiv Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported on May 12.

Around 500 people remain in the city of Vovchansk, close to the Russian border. Earlier in the day, two casualties were reported in Vovchansk and the nearby village Liptsy.

“Vovchansk, Liptsy and all points of the northern border are under enemy fire almost around the clock. The situation is difficult,” Syniehubov wrote on Telegram.

He noted that the hostilities are spreading to other settlements but that the Ukrainian troops continue to defend the region.

Vovchansk was under Russian occupation at the start of the full-scale invasion before being liberated on Sept. 11, 2022, during Ukraine’s successful counteroffensive in Kharkiv Oblast.

President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed earlier reports on May 10 that Russia was carrying out new offensive operations in Kharkiv Oblast, with fighting reported on the Ukraine-Russia border, 30 kilometers (18 miles) north of the city of Kharkiv.

Russian troops continue their attacks in several sectors, but attempts to break through Ukraine's defenses have been halted, Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi reported on May 12.

The situation "is changing rapidly" in the Kupiansk, Siversk, Lyman, and Pokrovsk directions amid ongoing fighting, according to Syrskyi."The enemy has partial success in some areas, and in others, (Ukraine's) Defense Forces are pushing the enemy out and improving their tactical position," the general said.

Andriy Yermak, the head of Ukraine's Presidential Office, told Politico on April 5 that Russia could launch a new offensive targeting Kharkiv Oblast in May or early June.

Over the past two days, over 4,000 civilians in Kharkiv Oblast have been evacuated from their homes, Syniehubov said.