On Friday, Russian forces crossed the border in several places in the northern parts of the Kharkiv region. In days, an ever-growing area has fallen under their control, of a size that on other front sections took the Russians months to achieve.
But exactly which areas are currently controlled by whom is very difficult to determine due to the ongoing fighting.
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Ukraine’s military estimates the number of Russians at over 30,000 soldiers, almost as many as at the siege of Avdijivka.
“The enemy has changed tactics from mass attacks, which they used at the beginning of the full-scale invasion, to advancing in smaller groups,” writes Oleg Synegubov, the governor of the Kharkiv region, on Telegram.
Soldier’s Critique: Just walked in
Ukraine has said that even before the thrust it saw a build-up of soldiers in the area and that fortifications were being prepared to stop an upcoming attack.
But the claim has been met with criticism from soldiers on the ground.
– There was no first line of defense. We saw it happen – the Russians just walked in without encountering any minefields, a Ukrainian officer told BBC.
But Tamaz Gambarashvili, head of the military administration in the border village of Vovtyansk, says Radio Svododa that the lack of fortifications near the border is explained by Russian shelling.
– It is extremely difficult and dangerous to build under fire, he says.
Thousands evacuated
Over 7,500 people are said to have been evacuated from the war-torn areas. Only a few hundred people are said to be left in Voltjansk, which has been described as the center of heavy fighting.
According to local authorities, several people have been injured in the intensive artillery attacks that have been carried out against the region in recent days.