NOS News•today, 2:27 PM•Amended today, 5:09 PM
The Russian army appears to have started a new ground offensive in the region around Kharkiv, the Ukrainian army reports. The border town of Vovchansk, some 50 kilometers northeast of Kharkiv and five kilometers from the Russian border, was attacked from Russian territory. According to Ukraine, the Russians have crossed the border and taken over a kilometer of territory.
It would be the first time since the autumn of 2022 that Russia has launched an attack from Russian territory. If successful, it could mean a new Russian front in the war.
According to Ukraine, the offensive started around 5 a.m. and an initial attack by Ukrainian forces was repulsed. The ministry reports that new fighting is breaking out in several places and that reinforcements are on their way to the area.
At least two civilians were killed in the fighting and five others were injured after the Russians opened fire on Vovchansk.
Russian bloggers say Russia may want to create a buffer zone in the area. President Putin has already said this year that he wants to do this in order to stop the Ukrainian attacks on the Russian city of Belgorod.
In recent weeks, the Ukrainians have warned several times about an attack on the Kharkiv region. Just two days ago, the governor of the province said that the Russians had gathered many troops on the other side of the border.
In response, Ukraine has built additional defense lines around Kharkiv in recent months. The chance that Russia can take the city in the short term is considered unlikely.
Daily shelling
Kharkiv is the second city in the country after Kyiv. Before the war, about 1.4 million people lived there. Russia has stepped up air raids on the city in recent months. There are shellings and explosions every day.
Ukraine retook the area around the city in the autumn offensive in 2022. Until a few months ago it was relatively quiet, with most fighting taking place further to the east.
Volchansk had more than 17,000 inhabitants before the war, but it is unclear how many people still live there at the moment. Ukrainian emergency services have started evacuating around 3,000 residents of the city.
