Summary of the day …
Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has said the situation remains “extremely difficult” as he travelled to Kharkiv on Thursday, days after Russia opened up a new front in the war with an incursion across the border in the north of the region. Zelenskiy said “As of today, the situation in Kharkiv oblast is generally under control, our soldiers are inflicting significant losses on the occupier. But the direction remains extremely difficult – we are strengthening our units.”
A Ukrainian military spokesperson said “The situation in the Kharkiv sector remains complicated but is evolving in a dynamic manner”. They added “Our defence forces have partially stabilised the situation. The advance of the enemy in certain zones and localities has been halted.”
Russian president Vladimir Putin has thanked his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping for what he said was China’s role in trying to solve the Ukraine crisis. Russian state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Putin as saying that Russia-China relations are “not directed against anyone. Our cooperation in world affairs today is one of the main stabilising factors in the international arena.”
Putin arrived in Beijing early on Thursday for talks and the two leaders signed an agreement to deepen mutual ties. Xi said the two countries were furthering their relationship as “good neighbours, good friends, good partners”, and that China hopes for the speedy restoration of peace and stability in Europe.
News agency AFP has estimated that Russian forces have advanced 278 square kilometres in their week-old offensive in Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region and in the south, which represents their biggest gains in a year-and-a-half of grinding warfare. Its analysis of data produced by the the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) claims that since the start of 2024, Russian forces have taken about 800 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory - more than the about 600 square kilometres gained in all of 2023.
The regional head of Kharkiv, Oleh Syniehubov, has claimed Russia used cluster munitions on the northern city of Vovchansk as part of its attempt to widen the new front there. The claims have not been independently verified.
Russia’s defence ministry has claimed it thwarted an attack by 11 Ukrainian naval drones in the Black Sea which were approaching Crimea, which Russia unilaterally annexed in 2014.
Denmark has announced a package of €750m (£643m / $815m) in military support for Ukraine.
Sri Lanka will dispatch a high-level delegation to Russia to investigate the fate of hundreds of nationals reportedly fighting in the war in Ukraine, a top official has said.
Russian media, citing Russia’s defence ministry, is reporting that an approach by 11 unmanned Ukrainian naval vehicles in the Black Sea approaching Crimea has been repelled, with all of the drone boats destroyed.
Russia unilaterally annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.
The claims have not been independently verified.
