Russian forces have conducted two cross-border assaults inside northern Ukraine, according to Ukrainian sources and officials. President Volodymyr Zelensky has labeled this as a 'new wave of counteroffensive actions' by Russia.
In the first incident, Russian soldiers advanced at least one kilometer towards the town of Vovchansk with the intention of creating a buffer zone at the border to protect Russian territory. Ukrainian Defense Ministry reported that Russian soldiers, supported by armored vehicles, crossed the border early Friday morning following intensified attacks in the border area.
Ukrainian reserve units were deployed to reinforce defenses in the region. A second source confirmed that Russian forces also moved five kilometers towards the village of Krasne with about 2,000 soldiers involved in the assault.
Ukraine's General Staff mentioned Russian attacks in the Krasne area and neighboring villages. DeepStateMap, a Ukrainian monitoring group, highlighted that the contested territory includes Krasne and three other villages.
President Zelensky acknowledged the seriousness of the situation but stated that Ukraine's military was prepared for such actions. He reported a fierce battle in the area and mentioned that the enemy had been stopped with artillery fire.
Two civilians were reported killed in the Russian offensive, and evacuation orders were issued for residents of border villages. National police assisted in evacuating people to safer locations.
As of Saturday, 1,775 individuals have been evacuated from the Kharkiv region. The recent assaults mark the most significant cross-border ground attack by Russia since Ukraine regained control of the northern Kharkiv region in 2022.
Despite the assaults, officials reassured that Kharkiv city is not at immediate risk. However, analysts caution that further advancement by Russian forces could pose a threat to the city, bringing it within range of Russian artillery.
