According to a Ukrainian military source, Russian forces advanced one kilometer into the Kharkiv region near Vovchansk, as reported by the Guardian. The source said the Russian military aims to advance up to 10 kilometers into the region in an attempt to establish a buffer zone. Four border villages in the Kharkiv region captured. Ukrainska Pravda writes this, citing sources from Ukrainian military circles, according to which these are the settlements of Streleche, Krasne, Pylna and Borysivka, and Moscow is trying to advance in the direction of Vovchansk. At the same time, the interlocutors of “Ukrainian Pravda” do not exclude that this is a diversionary maneuver by the Russians. According to the portal, clashes in the settlement area continue in any case and Russian forces are also trying to continue assault operations on the Streleche-Krasne and Pletenivka-Gatishche routesA heavy bombardment is underway in the Kharkiv region in eastern Ukraine, where Russian troops are trying to break through Kiev’s defense line. The city of Vovchansk is on fire, Ukrainian media report. On public radio, the head of the military administration of the city of Vovchansk, Tamaz Gambarashvili, said that civilians were leaving the area town and nearby settlements that are under Russian attack.
‘Russian forces advance on Kharkiv, want a buffer zone’
“The Ukrainian Defense Forces stopped the Russian offensive in the Kharkiv region this morning,” the president said Volodymyr Zelensky to Ukrinform, taken from Rbc-Ukraine. “Between 7 and 8 in the morning there was a fierce artillery fight. At that point the Russian offensive was stopped,” he said. According to the president, the Ukrainian Armed Forces were ready for this action by the Russians. “Ukraine faced them. Our military, our command knew this and calculated their forces to meet the enemy with fire. Now there is a brutal battle in the area,” he added.
“Since three in the morning the Russians have been firing missiles, using artillery and anti-aircraft guns,” Gambarashvili said, reporting that citizens spoke of “bombings never seen before in the area.” According to Gambarashvili, most of the population is fleeing independently, others are being helped by the police and volunteers. At the moment there is still no information on any victims because the attacks are ongoing, but local authorities speak of serious destruction.
In the night, Russian forces tried to breach the border into Ukraine with sabotage groups as shelling on the city of Vovchansk in the eastern Kharkiv region intensified. The governor of Kharkiv Oleg Syniehubov reported this on Telegram, stating that the attempts were repelled and that the Ukrainian forces “maintained their positions”. “The Russian army intensified shelling, especially on the city of Vovchansk. Attacks with multiple rocket launchers, MLRS and artillery continued throughout the night,” he wrote.
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry has announced that so far the attacks by Russian troops in the eastern region of Kharkiv, which have intensified in the last few hours to break through the front line, have been repelled and battles of varying intensity are underway. Meanwhile, the local military administration announced the evacuation of the population due to increasing Russian attacks. “Reserve units have been sent to strengthen the defense on this part of the front. The Ukrainian Armed Forces continue to slow down the enemy’s offensive,” the Defense Ministry said.
Zelensky, not all partners fulfill agreements on time
“Currently not all our partners promptly fulfill the agreements. We need the maximum concentration of our friends, friends of Ukraine, to accelerate the supply” of weapons. The Ukrainian president said so Volodymyr Zelensky at a press conference with the president of Slovakia Zuzana Chaputova, as reported by Rbc Ukraine. The Ukrainian leader’s words come as Russia has launched a new offensive in the north to break through the defense lines in Kharkiv. The president added in any case that Kiev is grateful to every leader who helps speed up the transfer of weapons.
Meanwhile The United States is about to announce a new aid package for Ukraine 400 million dollars. Politico reports it, citing some sources.
The first Western F-16 fighters will arrive in Ukraine within a few weeks, the British The Standard confirms, citing a high-ranking military source, according to whom the planes should arrive in the country by June/July. The source did not say who will provide the first jets, but several Western countries have offered to send the aircraft to Kiev.
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