According to Russia’s RIA state news agency, Russian forces are gearing up to attempt the capture of a village named Lyptsi, which is approximately 30 km (19 miles) north of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city.
Russia last week opened a new front in the Ukraine war by pushing swiftly over the border into the Kharkiv region of northeastern Ukraine with small groups of highly mobile units, a move that has forced Ukraine to rush in troops from other areas.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy postponed all his foreign trips as Ukraine’s battlefield situation continued to deteriorate on Wednesday and Kyiv said fighting was raging in the northeastern border town of Vovchansk in Kharkiv region.
“The most important city, which is now on the verge of complete liberation, is undoubtedly Volchansk,” said Vitaly Ganchev, a Russian-installed official in Ukraine, told Russian state television, RIA reported.
He said Russian troops were already on the approaches to the village of Lyptsi, on one of the main road routes to Kharkiv.
“Next is the settlement of Lyptsi – our guys are already on the outskirts. Work is beginning to liberate it, aviation and artillery are working constantly, they do not stop,” Ganchev said.
On Thursday, the Ukrainian military reported that its defensive actions had compelled Russian forces to slow down their offensive operations in the northern part of the Kharkiv region.
With Inputs From Reuters
