According to the General Staff, the Ukrainian army continues to defend itself against a Russian offensive in the border area near the city of Kharkiv. The army reported nine battles on this part of the front on Saturday morning. It was generally assumed that the Russian advance had been repulsed. However, this information could not be independently verified. “The enemy is using ground troops and technology,” said a statement from the General Staff on Friday evening.
The Ukrainian army has been reporting Russian advances in two broad parts of the front since Friday. The offensive was expected as the Russian army has gathered tens of thousands of soldiers near the border. President Vladimir Putin had also threatened an offensive in March.
However, Ukrainian and Russian military observers and foreign experts assumed that the attack had not yet targeted the city of Kharkov. The Institute for War Studies ISW in the US spoke of “limited operational objectives”. The attacks were intended to push Ukrainian forces away from the border; the advance was intended to bring Kharkov back within range of the Russian artillery.
The strategic goal is to force the Ukrainians to withdraw soldiers and equipment from other besieged parts of the front in the east. The limited deployment does not suggest “that Russian forces are conducting a large-scale offensive operation to encircle, encircle or capture Kharkiv,” the ISW wrote. Immediately at the beginning of the war of aggression in the spring of 2022, Russian troops entered Kharkov, but were repulsed.
Two-way attack
According to reports from the front, the attack is two-way. On a section of the border about 30 kilometers north of Kharkiv, Russian troops occupy several Ukrainian villages. According to consistent information, they were in a kind of gray zone before the Ukrainian front defense. The Ukrainian General Staff named the village of Lipzy as the target of this attack.
The second attack targeted the city of Vovchansk, about 40 kilometers northeast of Kharkov. Several small towns along the border were also occupied there. In the Vovchansk case, experts see more of a Russian intention to disrupt the supply lines from Ukraine to Kupyansk.
Ukraine is again attacking the Russian border area
According to Russian information, Ukraine also defended itself on Saturday night by attacking the Russian border region of Belgorod with rocket artillery and drones. Rocket alarms were also activated occasionally in Belgorod early in the morning. In Rovenki, in the Russian-occupied Luhansk region, shelling caused a fire at a fuel depot. Ukraine has been fighting a large-scale Russian invasion for more than two years.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
