Russian troops are intensifying attacks in the border areas of Luhansk Oblast with the aim of capturing the village of Borova in neighboring Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine's 3rd Assault Brigade said on June 18.
In the first half of May, Russia opened a new front to its war against Ukraine in dramatic fashion. The two-pronged offensive on Kharkiv Oblast unfolded on the back of some of the most difficult months for Ukrainian forces, overstretched and depleted after a brutal winter and early spring campaign
No Russian troops are present in the border village of Ryzhivka in Sumy Oblast, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on June 10.
Editor's Note: The Kyiv Independent is not disclosing soldiers' full names since they disclosed information without authorization from their command. DONETSK OBLAST—As public attention shifted to Moscow's renewed offensive in Kharkiv Oblast, Russian forces steadily advance in the country's easternmost Donbas region, which remains Moscow's primary target. Moving west
Editor’s note: In accordance with the security protocols of the Ukrainian military, soldiers featured in this story are identified by first names and callsigns only. KHARKIV OBLAST – In battles fought under a sky swarming with enemy drones, even the most minimal movement, even the quickest dash from one house
Russia does not have enough troops for a major attack in Sumy Oblast but may still attempt to invade the region, State Border Guard Service spokesperson Andriy Demchenko said on television on May 26.
Speaking on air to KYIV24 on May 22, Oleksii Kharkivskyi, the town's police chief, said there had been "several" incidents and investigations were "ongoing."
The situation on the front line in the direction of Pokrovsk, Kramatorsk, and Kurakhove in Donetsk Oblast remains extremely difficult, President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his May 21 evening address. He added, however, that Ukrainian forces are successfully destroying Russian troops in Kharkiv Oblast.
Key developments on May 20: * Deputy governor: Ukraine controls around 60% of Vovchansk * General Staff: Ukraine fights off Russian attack near Starytsia village in Kharkiv Oblast * Governor: Ukraine strikes Russian base in occupied Luhansk Oblast * Russian media: Oil refinery in Russia's Krasnodar Krai damaged after drone attack * Estonian PM: NATO
Zelensky also said that Ukraine successfully repels Russian assaults in Donetsk Oblast, including the area near the city of Chasiv Yar, which became one of the main strategic targets.
The drone feeds that soldiers relied on to keep track of Russian movements "completely disappeared," a Ukrainian soldier told the Washington Post.
Russia has no plans to capture Kharkiv "as of today" and is attacking Kharkiv Oblast in order to create a so-called buffer zone in the oblast to prevent shelling in Belgorod, President Vladimir Putin claimed on May 17.
Syrski's comments came a day after President Volodymyr Zelensky told journalists Russian troops were able to advance as far as 10 kilometers (6 miles) deep during their offensive in Kharkiv Oblast, but the front in the region has been stabilized.
One critical factor in Russia's recent battlefield successes in Ukraine is its extensive use of glide bombs. Every week, hundreds of these large, deadly weapons rain down on Ukraine, creating 20-meter-wide craters and obliterating military positions and entire settlements. Russia has heavily relied on glide bombs in its new offensive
Ukrainian forces have managed to stabilize the situation in Kharkiv Oblast over the past day amid Russia's attempts to break through, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on May 15 in his evening address.
Blinken was asked about recent Ukrainian complaints that a Washington ban meant Ukraine could not strike Russian forces as they built up before crossing the border into Kharkiv Oblast.
More Ukrainian forces are being deployed to Kharkiv Oblast amid Russia's offensive in the region, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on May 15, following a meeting with top military commanders.
Speaking on national TV, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said around 6,000 people from the surrounding oblast who lived closer to the front lines had been taken to the city and housed in dormitories.
Active battles are taking place in Vovchansk as Russian troops "take up positions on the streets of the city," Vovchansk Police Chief Oleksii Kharkivskyi said on social media on the morning of May 15.
"But all accounts are that they (Ukraine) continue to take measures to defend their territory," Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder said, adding that the U.S. is going to do "everything we can to get them the critical munitions and supplies that they need."
Almost 8,000 civilians have been evacuated amid Russia's offensive in northern Kharkiv Oblast, which has killed at least one civilian and injured 24 others over the past day, Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported on May 15.
KHARKIV – The first signs that something ominous is happening in Kharkiv come as soon as the train from Kyiv reaches the suburbs of the city – as two pillars of smoke appear in the distance, every single phone in the carriage erupts with a piercing electronic squawking. "I guess we've arrived,
Ukraine's military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov's statement came after he reportedly told the New York Times a day before that the situation in the region "was on the edge" and "moved toward critical every hour."
Key developments on May 13: * Governor: 5,900 people evacuated from Kharkiv Oblast amid Russian offensive * General Staff: Russian forces 'partially succeed' near Lukiantsi in Kharkiv Oblast * Construction of fortifications around Vovchansk was 'difficult,' official says * Military: Ukraine downs Russian Ka-52 attack helicopter * SBU drones attack oil depot, substation
At least 5,900 people have been evacuated from Kharkiv Oblast since Russian forces launched a new offensive in the region, Governor Oleh Syniehubov said during a press briefing in Kharkiv on May 13.
Key developments on May 11,12: * Putin proposes firing Shoigu, appointing new defense minister * Zelensky says Russian troops try to "gain a foothold" in Kharkiv Oblast; heavy fighting ongoing * Russia's breakthrough attempt halted, situation in several sectors' changing rapidly,' Syrskyi says * Russia attacks 106 infrastructure facilities in Ukraine in
VOVCHANSK, KHARKIV OBLAST – The glide bombs arrive in groups of three. Their flight can be heard from far away, but only in the last second before impact is it clear where it will hit. The explosions, orders of magnitude more powerful than regular artillery shells, shake the ground where the
His statement comes as Russia launched a new offensive operation targeting Kharkiv Oblast on May 10.
The Kyiv Independent joined local police on their mission to evacuate civilians from Vovchansk on May 11 — the operation that was constantly interrupted by Russian launches of aerial gliding bombs.
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.
Cameron stressed that Kyiv’s allies must do everything they can to “help the Ukrainians.” He pointed to the U.K.’s recent £3 billion ($3.74 billion) yearly package to Ukraine, adding that Westminster is “encouraging others to do the same.”
More than 300 civilians have been evacuated from the border communities of Kharkiv Oblast amid renewed Russian attacks on the area, Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko said on May 11.
