Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a visit to the besieged city of Kharkiv on Thursday, offering encouragement and reinforcing troops as Russian forces intensify their offensive in the region bordering Russia. The renewed Russian push has compelled Ukraine’s depleted forces to defend a new front, while Russia increases its pressure on the front in the east. “The situation remains extremely difficult; we are strengthening our units,” declared Zelensky after a meeting with his top commander and senior military leaders in Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv. Zelensky later stated in his nightly video address that “we have achieved more certainty” near Vovchansk, located 5 kilometers inside the border, thanks to the actions of Ukrainian forces. However, he noted that “the Russian shelling is not stopping; threats persist.” Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Syniehubov stated on national television that Russian forces remained determined to capture the city. “While we cannot yet claim that our soldiers have stabilized the front line, they have halted the enemy’s active advance in the Kharkiv region,” he said, adding that Ukrainian troops had regained some previously lost positions. In a move to demonstrate solidarity, the Ukrainian leader, who has canceled upcoming foreign trips due to the deteriorating situation on the battlefield, met with wounded soldiers recovering at a medical facility and posed for photographs with troops at another location. TROOPS STRETCHED OVER AN EXTENDED FRONT LINE Russia’s advance in Kharkiv, apart from causing devastation to frontline communities and taking a toll on Kyiv’s morale, presents a strategic challenge for Ukrainian military planners, whose troops are already stretched along a front line spanning more than 1,000 kilometers. Ukraine’s military announced late on Wednesday that its forces engaged in combat near the town of Kupiansk, around 85 kilometers southeast of Kharkiv, were withdrawing to more “advantageous positions.” In a statement released on Thursday, the General Staff stated that Russia was focusing its most intense attacks on the front near the cities of Pokrovsk and Kramatorsk in the eastern Donetsk region, where Russia’s offensive has been ongoing for months. Russian President Vladimir Putin asserted on Wednesday that Moscow’s forces were “improving their positions every day” along the front in Ukraine and that the advance was proceeding as planned. The Ukrainian General Staff reported that its forces had launched a counteroffensive to repel the invaders after encountering combat in Vovchansk, approximately 45 kilometers from the city of Kharkiv. Kyiv, facing manpower shortages compounded by delays in receiving Western arms supplies, has cautioned that Russia may be preparing for a significant offensive in the coming weeks. It has noted a Russian buildup of small units near its Sumy region. Pasi Paroinen, an analyst with the Black Bird Group, told Reuters that Moscow’s offensive in Kharkiv appeared to be an attempt to draw Kyiv’s limited reserves into battle before launching a broader offensive. “If Ukraine overcommits in Kharkiv and Sumy, they may preserve some territory there, perhaps prevent Kharkiv civilians from suffering artillery bombardments, perhaps even push back the enemy back to the border,” he explained. “But it may cost them the war, if the reserves are not available to respond to crises during the Russian summer offensive.” Kharkiv, located 30 kilometers from the border, has endured months of airstrikes that defenders struggle to counter with insufficient air defenses. Russian forces have advanced on two fronts in the region: towards Vovchansk and towards the village of Lyptsi, 17 kilometers from the northern outskirts of Kharkiv. Ukraine has been evacuating civilians from the city and other border areas; thus far, approximately 9,000 people have left. Ukrainian Interior Minister Ihor Klymenko accused Russian forces of killing a resident in Vovchansk who attempted to flee on foot and refused to obey their orders. Serhii Bolvinov, the head of the investigative department of the regional police, stated in televised remarks that Russian troops had taken up to 40 civilians captive. Local prosecutors reported four fatalities and 12 injuries in the area. Reuters could not immediately verify the accounts of Klymenko or Bolvinov. Russia claims to have captured 12 villages since launching its attack. On Thursday, the Russian Defense Ministry stated that its forces had breached Ukrainian defenses and caused personnel and equipment losses near Vovchansk and Lyptsi.
Zelensky Visits Kharkiv Amid Intensified Russian Offensive in Ukraine
