Ukrainian journalists reported that Russian troops had taken over villages on the border of the Kharkiv region.
Russian forces have captured five villages as part of a renewed ground assault in Ukraine’s north east, the country’s Defence Ministry said.
Associated Press journalists who accompanied an evacuation team described empty streets with multiple buildings destroyed and others on fire. The road was littered with newly made craters and the city was covered in dust and shrapnel with the smell of gunpowder in the air. Artillery, mortar and aerial bombardments hit more than 30 towns and villages, killing at least three people and injuring five others, said Kharkiv governor Oleh Syniehubov.
One person died in a drone strike in the Belgorod region, and another in the Kursk region, local officials said. Russian military bloggers said the assault could mark the start of an attempt to carve out a “buffer zone” that President Vladimir Putin vowed to create earlier this year to halt frequent Ukrainian attacks on Belgorod and other Russian border regions.
The Kremlin’s forces have repeatedly sought to exploit Ukraine’s shortages of ammunition and personnel as the flow of western military aid to Kyiv has tapered off in recent months, with promised new support yet to arrive.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Ukraine-Russia war latest: Ukraine in for 'difficult summer' as Russia preparing 'major offensive'It is likely to be a 'very difficult summer' for Ukrainian forces in the face of increased Russian attacks, military analyst Sean Bell says. Listen to a Daily podcast on whether the UK should send troops to Ukraine as you scroll.
Read more »
Russia ‘captures villages’ in north-east Ukraine as more than 1,700 people fleeUkrainian journalists reported that Russian troops had taken over villages on the border of the Kharkiv region.
Read more »
Russia will push into heart of Ukraine if it captures frontline town, governor warnsVadym Filashkin, governor of the eastern Donetsk region, told Sky News his country's soldiers would not allow this to happen and would do 'everything possible - and impossible' to push the Russian invaders back.
Read more »
Ukraine-Russia war latest: North Korea says US move in Ukraine is causing 'concern'There is concern within the international community about the US supplying long-range missiles to Ukraine, North Korea has said. Listen to a Daily podcast on whether the UK should send troops to Ukraine as you scroll.
Read more »
Ukraine-Russia war latest: 'Large fire' as Russia hits port city with ballistic missileA Russian ballistic missile struck a postal depot in the Ukrainian port of Odesa and injured 14 people. Meanwhile, drone attacks have targeted Russian energy infrastructure, according to officials. Listen to a Daily podcast on whether the UK should send troops to Ukraine as you scroll.
Read more »
Ukraine-Russia war latest: Russia could be shifting battlefield focusRussia's focus on the battlefield may be shifting to areas other than around Avdiivka, according to a thinktank. Meanwhile, fire has broken out at a Russian oil refinery after Ukrainian drone attacks. Listen to a Daily podcast on whether the UK should send troops to Ukraine as you scroll.
Read more »