Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has reported intense battles between Ukrainian troops and the advancing Russian army in two border areas. The death toll from a Russian apartment building collapse attributed to Ukrainian shelling has risen to 15. Zelenskyy described the ongoing battles as 'fierce' near the eastern and northeastern borders of Ukraine, where Ukrainian soldiers are facing a significant Russian ground offensive.
Analysts suggest that the Russian forces are attempting to exploit Ukrainian vulnerabilities before a substantial amount of new military aid from the U.S. and European partners reaches Kyiv in the coming weeks and months. This period is seen as a critical window of opportunity for Moscow and a perilous time for Kyiv in the two-year war.
The recent Russian incursions in the northeastern Kharkiv region and the ongoing advances in the eastern Donetsk region mark a departure from months of relative stability along the 1,000-kilometer front line. Both sides have resorted to long-range strikes in what has largely been a war of attrition.
The incursion in Kharkiv may be aimed at establishing a 'buffer zone' to protect the adjacent Russian border region of Belgorod, which has been targeted by Ukrainian attacks. Russian emergency services have completed the clearance of rubble in Belgorod's capital city, where a residential building collapse claimed 15 lives and left 27 others wounded.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has replaced Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in a Cabinet reshuffle. Shoigu was a key figure in the decision to send Russian troops into Ukraine in February 2022. The Russian operation, initially expected to swiftly overpower the Ukrainian army, has faced staunch resistance.
Zelenskyy highlighted the intensity of fighting in the Donetsk area, emphasizing the Kremlin's strategy to divide Ukrainian forces by opening a second active front in Kharkiv. The town of Pokrovsk, located just inside the Ukrainian border in Donetsk, has become a focal point of the conflict, with Zelenskyy describing it as 'the most difficult' area.
The capture of Avdiivka in February allowed Russian troops to advance westward into Donetsk, a region illegally annexed by Russia in 2022. The Kremlin's objective of gaining control over all of Donetsk remains a primary goal in the ongoing conflict.
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