On Saturday, Russia announced that its forces had captured five border villages in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, where Russia had launched an offensive on Friday, exploiting its increasing advantage on the battlefields of eastern Ukraine.
In a briefing, the Defence Ministry stated that Russian forces seized Pletenivka, Ohirtseve, Borysivka, Pylna, and Strilechna, all directly on the Russian border. The update also mentioned the taking of Keramik village in Donetsk, where Moscow has made steady advances since seizing the longtime Ukrainian stronghold of Avdiivka in February.
On Friday, Ukrainian officials confirmed Russia’s new cross-border offensive in Kharkiv, which is centred around Kharkiv city, Ukraine’s second largest, with ongoing attacks and attempts to advance.
Russia’s initial assault on Kharkiv in February 2022 was repelled by a Ukrainian counter-offensive in September, but tensions persist.
Belgorod, Russia’s neighboring region, has become a regular target of Ukrainian drone and artillery strikes.
When asked in March if Russian forces might need to take Kharkiv region, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the only way to secure Russian territory from Ukrainian strikes was to create a buffer zone that would place Moscow’s territory out of range of Kyiv’s forces.
With control over 18% of Ukraine in the east and south, Russia aims to secure its gains amid ongoing conflict.
Melissa Enoch
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