More than 4,000 civilians have been evacuated in Kharkiv as Russian troops intensify their offensive in the region

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More than 4,000 civilians have been evacuated in Kharkiv as Russian troops intensify their offensive in the region. The local governor of the Kharkiv region in northeastern Ukraine reported on Sunday that a total of 4,073 people have been evacuated from border areas after a surprise Russian offensive that began on Friday. The Kremlin troops claimed the capture of five towns in the region, leading to the evacuation of residents from towns such as Chuhuiv and the surrounding capital.

Governor Oleg Synegubov also reported the death of a 63-year-old man from artillery fire in a local village, as well as attacks in 27 towns in the region. The town of Vovschank has become a main point of conflict, with two additional casualties reported, a 73-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man, following massive bombings in the area.

Russian forces have made small progress in the Ukrainian border area, where they were previously expelled in 2022. Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky has stated that Ukrainian troops have launched counterattacks on border towns in the region in an effort to alter Russian offensive plans and urged allied countries to accelerate the shipment of weapons.

In response to the Russian offensive, drones from the Ukrainian military intelligence services (GUR) attacked industrial targets in the Russian regions of Volgograd, Kaluga, and Lipetsk. The targets included fuel depots in Liudinovo, the Novolipetsk metallurgical plant, and the Lukoil oil refinery in Volgograd. Ukrainian-made drones were used in the attacks, with plans to continue targeting military sites.

Authorities in Kiev had been warning of a possible Russian attack in the northeastern border regions, where Ukraine is still awaiting Western aid and facing a shortage of soldiers. The Kharkiv region has been under Ukrainian control since September 2022.