Russia widens Kharkiv front in Ukraine with small assault groups, governor says
According to REUTERS, Russia pressed its ground assault into the north of Ukraine's Kharkiv region on Monday, attacking new areas with small groups to try to widen the front and stretch Ukrainian forces, the regional governor said.
Moscow's troops entered Ukraine near its second largest city of Kharkiv on Friday, opening a new, northeastern front in a war that has for almost two years been largely fought in the east and south. The advance could draw some of Kyiv's depleted forces away from the east, where Russia has been slowly advancing.
"The enemy is trying to deliberately stretch it (the front line), attacking in small groups, but in new directions, so to speak," Governor OlehSyniehubov said in televised comments.
"The situation is difficult."
Russia's forces were driving towards the town of Vovchansk about five km (three miles) from the Russian border, as well as the village of Lyptsi which lies north of Kharkiv, he said.
Kyiv's troops are managing to defend all of the approaches to Vovchansk, he said, but Moscow's forces are trying to establish themselves at a meat plant on the outskirts of the town, according to the settlement's military administration.
Russia said on Sunday it had captured nine villages in the Kharkiv region. On Monday it said the troops had improved their positions and inflicted losses on territorial defence forces.
The Ukrainian military, in its evening readout, said it "had pushed the enemy back" from the northern outskirts of the town. It added it had "tactical successes" in several areas and was restoring its old positions.
Russian forces had been stopped advancing on the village of Lukyantsi to the north of the city of Kharkiv, the military said, adding Russia had nonetheless had "partial success".
A day after the Russian offensive began, Ukraine appointed Brigadier General Mykhailo Drapatyi to take command of the Kharkiv front, the media outlet RBC-Ukraine reported.
Drapatyi previously led the liberation of the southern Kherson region in November 2022 before serving as deputy head of the General Staff.
