Ukraine war: Russian forces spark ‘fierce battle’ after attack on Kharkiv
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a ‘fierce battle’ was under way after Moscow launched a surprise new offensive on Friday morning
- Ukraine chased Russian troops out of most of the Kharkiv region in 2022, following Russia’s full-scale invasion in February of that year
Russian forces launched an armoured ground attack on Friday near Ukraine’s second city of Kharkiv in the northeast of the country and made limited gains, opening a new front in a war that has long been waged in the east and south.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a “fierce battle” was under way after Moscow launched a surprise new offensive on Friday morning.
“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 in this direction,” Zelensky said in a press conference in Kyiv.
Ukraine sent reinforcements as fighting raged in the border areas of the region, the defence ministry said, adding that Russia had pounded the frontier town of Vovchansk with guided aerial bombs and artillery.
“At approximately 5am, there was an attempt by the enemy to break through our defensive line under the cover of armoured vehicles,” the ministry said.
“As of now, these attacks have been repulsed; battles of varying intensity continue.”
A senior Ukrainian military source who declined to be named said Russian forces had pushed 1km (0.6 miles) inside the Ukrainian border near Vovchansk.
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