11/05/2024 – 17:10
Ukrainian government reports “intense fighting” after Russians launched offensive in Kharkiv province. Russian invaders claim the capture of five villages. Intense fighting was recorded on Friday and this Saturday (11/05) on the front line of the war in Ukraine, after invading Russian troops launched a new ground offensive in the northeastern Ukrainian province of Kharkiv from the country. The Russian Defense Ministry claimed the seizure of five Ukrainian villages in the region.
This area has not been the target of attacks of this scale since the withdrawal of Russian troops following the Ukrainian counteroffensive in autumn 2022.
“Intense fighting is taking place along the entire front line,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported on Friday, adding that reinforcements had been sent to the Kharkiv region. “Along our national border and front line, we will inevitably destroy the occupying forces to thwart Russia’s offensive intentions,” he added.
Goals
After the start of the offensive, the United States announced a new military aid package for Ukraine. Washington is trying to make up for months lost in congressional negotiations over an aid deal for Kiev. Blocking aid for months delayed the flow of weapons from the United States, and Ukrainian forces suffered setbacks in the east.
According to the Ukrainian General Staff, Russia launched five ground attacks in the Kharkiv region. There were also Russian bombings there.
According to a source in the Ukrainian military command, Moscow seeks to create a security zone in the provinces of Kharkiv and Sumy that would prevent Ukraine from continuing to bomb the Russian province of Belgorod.
“During the last day, the enemy attacked the Vovchansk area with guided bombs”, on the border with Belgorod, and “until 5 am (11 pm on Thursday in Brazil) tried to break through our defense lines with the help of armored vehicles”, reported the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, without specifying the location of the operation. The attacks were repelled, but “fights of varying intensity continued to occur, and reserve units were mobilized to reinforce the defense” of the region, he added.
Kharkiv province and its namesake capital, the country’s second largest city, remain an important target for Russia, which has regularly bombed the region in recent months, particularly its energy infrastructure. Ukraine has feared a new ground offensive for weeks.
Difficulties
The Ukrainian army is also facing difficulties at the front, weakened by a lack of soldiers and delays in the delivery of Western aid. At the end of April, the United States announced aid of US$61 billion (R$321 billion) for Ukraine, which will have to wait for the assistance to materialize on the battlefield.
Russia, which has more troops, weapons and a more powerful defense industry, has regained the initiative after the failure of the Ukrainian counteroffensive in the summer of 2023. Russian forces have claimed territorial advances in recent months, mainly in eastern Ukraine, but limited and with high human cost.
Commenting on developments in the Ukraine theater, US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby predicted that Russia will “certainly intensify its attacks and deploy more troops” to northeastern Ukraine in the coming weeks, with the aim of establishing a “buffer zone” along the border.
However, Kirby commented that the United States does not expect “any major advances” from Russian troops, adding: “We have confidence in Ukrainian forces and are working tirelessly to send (…) the weapons they need to defend themselves against these attacks. ”.
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