As the war in Ukraine enters its third year, Russia is targeting Kharkiv, the second largest Ukrainian region, where the cities are suffering heavy losses just 40 kilometers from the Russian city of Belgorod. This dire situation prompted Ukrainian Army Commander Oleksandr Syrskyi to acknowledge on Sunday that Ukrainian forces face a tough situation in the ongoing fighting in Kharkiv.
Russia launched a new offensive in the Kharkiv region on Friday, creating a new front in this war that has been ongoing for nearly 27 months. Moscow stated on Saturday that it had taken control of five villages, while Kyiv claimed it was repelling attacks and fighting to maintain control over those villages. Syrskyi wrote on Telegram, "Defense units are engaged in fierce defensive battles. Attempts by the Russian invaders to breach our defenses have been repelled."
He added, "The situation is difficult, but Ukrainian defense forces are doing everything they can to hold the defensive lines and inflict losses on the enemy."
With Ukraine in a defensive posture against Russia, which boasts numerical superiority and abundant ammunition, Kyiv claims that several months' delay by the U.S. Congress in voting on a massive aid package has cost it dearly on the battlefield. Ukraine now hopes for rapid delivery of large quantities of recently approved aid to bolster its defense.
Army spokesman Nizar Voloshin told Ukrainian television on Sunday, "Russia is conducting operations on two fronts; they are trying to expand the scope of the front." He added that the main avenues of the Russian attack are targeting the cities of Vovchansk and Liepitsi. Liepitsi is about 20 kilometers from the outskirts of Kharkiv.
In 2022, Russian forces reached the outskirts of the city before being pushed back to the border. Voloshin urged residents to remain calm, stating that "Russia is conducting an information campaign to sow panic alongside its military offensive." He said, "Residents must stay calm, defense forces are holding the lines, and the situation is under control."
Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported on Sunday that Russian forces had taken control of four more villages in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine: Hatyshche, Krasne, Morokhovytsia, and Olhynikivka. The ministry stated, "Units of the Northern Group of Forces advanced deep into enemy defenses and liberated the towns of Hatyshche, Krasne, Morokhovytsia, and Olhynikivka in the Kharkiv region."
The Russian army had confirmed on Saturday its control over six Ukrainian villages, five of which are in the Kharkiv region.
In a complicated situation, regional Governor Oleg Synehubov announced on social media that a total of 4,073 people had been evacuated. Synehubov confirmed on Sunday the death of a 63-year-old man from artillery fire in Hlibok village and the injury of a 38-year-old man in the border town of Vovchansk, which had a population of about three thousand before the current assault.
Police officer Oleksiy Kharkivskiy, who is helping coordinate evacuation efforts, reported that several people were killed in shelling on Saturday, and a victim was found under the rubble overnight. He added, "The city is under continuous fire." Speaking at an evacuation point in a village near Vovchansk, he said, "Everything in the city has been destroyed; the sounds of explosions, artillery shelling, and mortar fire can be heard constantly; the Russians are hitting the city with everything they have."
Estimates indicate that about 1,500 people have been evacuated or fled from Vovchansk since Friday, with 32 drone strikes reported on the town in the last 24 hours. Evacuation teams have come under fire several times.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on Saturday that Ukrainian forces are conducting counterattacks in the border villages of the Kharkiv region, stating, "We need to disrupt Russian offensive operations and take the initiative back to Ukraine." He emphasized that "all air defense systems and missile defense systems are crucial for saving lives." He also stressed that it is "important for our partners to support our troops and the resilience of Ukraine through timely deliveries."
Ukrainian forces have intensified attacks within Russian territory and areas controlled by Russia in Ukraine, particularly targeting energy infrastructure. Kyiv officials have warned for weeks that Moscow may attempt to launch an assault on northeastern border areas, pointing to its advantage as Ukraine faces delays in receiving Western aid and shortages of many supplies.
Washington announced a $400 million military aid package for Kyiv just hours after the new offensive began, expressing confidence that Ukraine would be able to repel any new Russian campaign.
**Missile Attack on Belgorod**
In the Russian city of Belgorod, at least 24 people were killed or injured on Sunday when part of a multi-story residential building collapsed due to a Soviet-era missile launched by Ukraine, which had been intercepted by Russian air defense systems. In one of the deadliest attacks yet on Belgorod, Ukraine reportedly launched an attack using Tochka ballistic missiles and Adler and RM-70 Vampire multiple rocket launch systems.
Footage from the site showed at least 10 floors of the building collapsed. Later, while emergency crews were searching for survivors among the rubble, the roof of the building fell in as people attempted to escape for their lives. The Russian Ministry of Defense described the attack as a "terrorist attack on residential areas," stating that at least 12 missiles were used.
The ministry added, "Debris from one of the intercepted Tochka-U missiles caused damage to a residential building in Belgorod." Russian news agencies reported that at least seven people were killed and 17 others injured, including two children, while others remain trapped under the rubble. Both Ukraine and Russia claim not to target civilians, despite the high civilian death toll on both sides during the war.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that the strike was an attack on civilians, highlighting Ukraine's criminality and that of its supporters, principally the United States and its European allies. No comment from Ukraine has been issued in response to this attack.
**Why Kharkiv?**
Analysts suggest that the attack may mark the beginning of a Russian attempt to establish a buffer zone that Russian President Vladimir Putin promised to create earlier this year to halt repeated Ukrainian attacks on Belgorod and other Russian border regions. Ukraine had previously stated that it was aware of Russia gathering thousands of troops along the northeastern border, near the Kharkiv and Sumy regions. While Kremlin forces achieved their latest ground incursions in eastern Ukraine, Ukrainian intelligence officials anticipate that Kremlin forces may also strike in northeastern Ukraine.
The Institute for the Study of War stated on Friday that Russia has achieved significant tactical gains, noting that the main objective of the operation is to lure Ukrainian manpower and equipment from critical sectors on the front in eastern Ukraine, indicating that it does not appear to be a large-scale offensive to encircle and capture Kharkiv.
