Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported “intense fighting” across the entire front line, as Russia launched a major ground offensive on Friday in the northeast of the country, particularly around Kharkiv. Ukraine has sent reinforcements to the region, while the United States and Canada have promised new military aid to kyiv.
Information to remember
⇒ Nearly 1,800 people were evacuated from the Kharkiv region as a result of the Russian offensive
⇒ The United States and Canada announced new aid for Ukraine
⇒ Washington does not foresee “any major advances” from the Russians
Kharkiv region: hundreds of people flee the fighting
Hundreds of people were evacuated from areas near the Russian border, in the Ukrainian region of Kharkiv, the regional governor said this Saturday, May 11, the day after Russia launched a surprise cross-border land offensive.
“A total of 1,775 people have been evacuated,” Governor Oleg Synegubov wrote on social media, adding that Russia had carried out artillery and mortar shelling on 30 settlements in the region over the past 24 hours. .
New American and Canadian aid
Washington announced on Friday new military aid of $400 million to “provide assistance to Ukraine”. This new shipment contains weapons that Ukraine has an “urgent” need, said the head of American diplomacy, Antony Blinken, in a press release. It includes, among other things, ammunition for Patriot-type air defense systems in particular, missiles for Stinger missile launchers, 155 and 105 mm shells, Javelin missiles, Bradley armored vehicles, patrol boats as well as only grenades and spare parts. “This is a fairly large package,” said John Kirby, spokesman for the White House National Security Council, emphasizing “the diversity” of equipment that will be sent. This is the third announcement of American aid in less than three weeks.
Shortly before, the Canadian Minister of Defense also announced aid of 76 million Canadian dollars (51.6 million euros) to help finance anti-aircraft defense systems that Germany wishes to see provided to Ukraine . “This investment will help Ukraine defend itself against the brutal attacks that destroyed hospitals, power plants and apartment buildings, and killed thousands of innocent Ukrainians,” Bill Blair said at a conference. joint press conference with Boris Pistorius, his German counterpart visiting Canada. The latter specified that Iris-T anti-aircraft defense systems would be delivered to kyiv in the coming weeks. “We have no time to lose,” he said.
The United States does not foresee “any major advances” from the Russians
The Russian offensive will “intensify” in the “coming weeks”, warned the head of American diplomacy, Antony Blinken, before however assuring that it will not produce “major advances” by Russian troops. “We have confidence in the Ukrainian forces and we are working tirelessly to get them […] the weapons they need to defend themselves against these attacks,” he added.
Late Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky reported “intense fighting” across the front line, indicating that reinforcements were being sent to the Kharkiv region, where Ukraine had feared an attack for weeks . The Ukrainian General Staff indicated that Russia had carried out five ground attacks in the Kharkiv region near the towns of Krasné, Morokhovets and Oliinykové, bordering Russia, as well as a little further east near that of Gatyshche.
According to this source, several Russian air attacks targeted targets in the area, notably the larger town of Vovchansk, also on the border and populated by 3,000 inhabitants. According to a highly placed source in the Ukrainian military command, Moscow wants to create a “buffer zone” in the regions of Kharkiv and Sumy to prevent kyiv from striking the region of Belgorod, in Russia, which is very regularly targeted.