Russia launches unexpected attack on northern Ukraine in the most significant cross-border operation in nearly two years.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, claimed the assault on Vovchansk, a border town near the nation's second largest city, Kharkiv, is part of "a fresh wave of retaliatory operations" by Russia. He specified that a fierce clash was underway in the area.
A press release from Ukraine's Defense Ministry revealed that Ukrainian reserve forces had been sent to the northern region of Kharkiv in response to the rapid escalation of intense Russian shelling in Vovchansk late Thursday.
According to the statement, Russian reconnaissance teams, lurking beneath armored vehicles, initiated a sneak attack on the border approximately 5:00 am onwards.
A military source informed CNN that the Russians had crossed one kilometer deep into Ukraine's territory. Their aim was allegedly to push ten kilometers deeper and establish a security zone along the frontier to guard their own soil from the ramifications of the war.
The battlefield has pivoted between the south and east since Ukraine's military repelled Russian troops from occupied areas from the war's inception, and Kharkiv's northern region was freed in the late summer of 2022.
Zelensky did not dismiss the severity of the predicament, but quoted their readiness for this attack. “Russia has started a new bout of counteroffensive actions in [northern Kharkiv region]. Our military confronted them with our troops, brigades, and artillery," he said.
Continuing, "Our military and its leadership were aware of this possibility and their troops were prepared to counter the enemy with artillery fire. Presently, there's an intense battle in this area... I believe we have managed to stop the adversary with artillery fire," he added.
Head of Kharkiv's military administration, Oleh Syniehubov, disclosed on Telegram that Russian forces bombarded the area with aerial bombs, Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, and artillery throughout the night. However, he believes it is just a provocation and not an imminent threat to the city of Kharkiv, consisting of 1.5 million people, which is only 30 km from the Russian border.
Syniehubov confirmed that one person had been killed and up to three others injured in Vovchansk and in the neighboring settlement of Charkaski Tyshky.
Authorities urged villagers living near the border to evacuate. The National Police shared images on social media featuring policemen assisting families as they packed their belongings into police cars, en route to sheltered locations.
This cross-border raid follows a surge in Russian airstrikes on Kharkiv over the past several months. These attacks have resulted in the extinction of the city's entire power-generating capacity, along with its substations.
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Source: edition.cnn.com
