CNN
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Ukraine has warned that the situation in northern Kharkiv is “significantly deteriorating” after Russia claimed it had captured several villages in a cross-border raid.
Ukraine said fighting continued and it was repelling attacks, while Russia said Sunday it had captured a total of nine villages over the weekend. Hundreds of civilians have been evacuated from areas near the front lines.
Russia launched a surprise attack across the border on Friday, carrying out two attacks inside northern Ukraine in what President Volodymyr Zelenskiy called a “new wave of counterattacks” by Russia.
The exact goal is unclear, but Moscow may be trying to create a buffer zone to reduce Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory, or it may be trying to exhaust and distract Kiev's already stretched forces. do not have.
In a statement, the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed that a new military group called Saver (North) had “liberated” several villages, a term that reflects Russia's denial of Ukraine's statehood. are doing.
Ukrainian military commander Oleksandr Shirushkyy said on Sunday that “defensive operations” were underway.
“This week, the situation in Kharkiv oblast has significantly worsened. Currently, fighting continues in the border areas along the oblast border with the Russian Federation,” he wrote on Telegram.
Olev Sinyevov, head of the military administration of Ukraine's Kharkiv region, objected to the occupation of five villages in the Kharkiv region.
“Heavy fighting continues in the Strylecha, Pilina, Borisivka, Olikove and Okhirtseve regions. Fighting continues in the areas of settlements that were actually in the “gray zone” […] There is no threat of ground operations against Kharkov. The Defense Forces are doing everything they can to protect their positions. All government agencies are working on the ground,” Sinievov said.
The gray zone represents areas that are currently contested rather than under full control of Russia or Ukraine.
At least three people were killed in Russian airstrikes in the Kharkov region from Saturday to Sunday, according to the region's military administrator.
Anna Ivanova, a woman living in Kharkiv, described the situation as “horrifying”.
She told Reuters on Sunday: “Of course it's scary. We continue to monitor the situation following the news, but we are staying at home and are not going anywhere.” Everything depends on what happens. ”
Another Kharkiv resident, Olena Pidirna, said: “Despite all the attacks and air raid warnings, we are living a normal life, everyone is going out, playing, going to school, having fun, continuing to work.'' Life goes on as usual.”
Russia's recent efforts have focused primarily on the east, taking advantage of Ukraine's lack of human resources and weapons to make small gains. After a full-scale invasion began in 2022, the country's forces attacked the Kharkiv region, but were driven out by a Ukrainian counterattack later that year.
In a separate development, a temporary fire broke out at the Volgograd refinery, Russia's largest oil refinery in southern Russia, after it was attacked by Ukrainian military drones from Sunday into the night, the region's governor announced.
“On the night of May 12, air defense and electronic warfare units repelled a drone attack on the territory of the Volgograd region,” Andrei Bocharov said in a post on Telegram.
“As a result of the crash of the UAV and the subsequent explosion, a fire broke out on the premises of the Volgograd refinery,” he said.
The fire has already been extinguished and there were no casualties.
