Russian forces launched an armoured ground attack on Friday near Ukraine’s second city of Kharkiv in the north-east, Dan Sabbagh and Andrew Roth report. There were also reports of fighting in the border villages of Strilecha, Pylna and Borysivka farther west, and that Russian forces had advanced by about 1km around the border town of Vovchansk. Volodomyr Zelenskiy, Ukraine’s president, said from Kyiv: “Russia launched a new wave of counteroffensive actions in this area. Ukraine met them there with our troops, brigades and artillery ... Now there is a fierce battle under way.” Ukraine’s military said it had deployed more troops and Zelensky said Ukrainian forces were using artillery and drones against the Russian advance.
Residents of Vovchansk were evacuated on Friday, Reuters reported from the area. “We are leaving because we are dying from the ‘Russian world’,” said Valerii Dubskyi, 60, referring to a Russian concept of extending Russia’s influence beyond its borders. “It can go to hell, together with Putin and their authorities. They are our enemies. They tested all types of weapons on us, except for the nuclear bomb.”
