A push by Moscow's troops in the Kharkiv province aims to stretch Kyiv's troops along a wide front, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has said, and its maps show the latest state of play in the Ukrainian region that borders Russia.
Russian forces have claimed success following their offensive launched on May 10 just over the border. Constant shelling has led to the evacuation of thousands from the town of Vovchansk, although Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said Moscow's troops have not yet reached Kyiv's most powerful third line of defenses.
In his first interview since the start of the offensive, Zelensky told the AFP on Friday Ukrainian forces had stabilized the area amid assessments that Moscow wants to create a buffer zone along the northern border of Kharkiv Oblast.
In its Friday update, one ISW map shows the distance of the Russian operation in the Kharkiv region compared with other parts of the front. Another map cites Russian claims that Moscow had seized the villages of Lukiantsi and Buhruvatka on May 14, Starytsa a day later and advanced north of Lyptsi on May 16.
The map also indicates claims by Russian sources that on May 13, Moscow had advanced to the north bank of the Vovcha River and on Friday had seized the village of Zybyne.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that Russia's operations were going "according to plan" in the Kharkiv direction but there were no immediate aims to attempt to capture Kharkiv city, which is Ukraine's second biggest.
This chimes with the ISW's assessment that Putin's forces seem to be prioritizing creating a buffer zone over setting conditions for deeper penetrations into the north of the region.
It comes as local officials in Kharkiv city said that Russian forces injured at least five people following a series of explosions that destroyed several houses on Saturday afternoon. On Friday, a Russian glide bomb strike on Kharkiv killed four people and wounded over 30, according to the city's mayor Ihor Terekhov.
Meanwhile in Vovchansk around 40 miles away, at least two civilians were killed and another one injured on Friday according to the regional prosecutor's office.
Newsweek has contacted the Russian defense ministry for comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Brendan Cole is a Newsweek Senior News Reporter based in London, UK. His focus is Russia and Ukraine, in particular ... Read more
