The conflict in Ukraine’s eastern front has escalated significantly, with Russian forces making incremental gains and intensifying their offensive operations. The city of Kharkiv and its surrounding regions have become hotspots of intense military activity, with Ukrainian forces striving to hold their ground against a larger and better-equipped adversary.
In the past week, Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, has been subjected to severe missile strikes, resulting in significant civilian casualties and damage. The State Emergency Service of Ukraine on Facebook that the number of people injured in Kharkiv as a result of Russian rocket fire has increased to 20.
Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that Moscow is establishing a “buffer zone” in northeastern Ukraine to protect its own border regions, but said capturing the city of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second largest, was not part of the current plan. “If this continues, we will be forced to create a security zone, a buffer zone. That is what we are doing,” Putin stated.
Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi said the attack had expanded the combat zone by around 70km and that Russia had launched its incursion ahead of schedule after “it noticed the deployment of our forces”. “We understand there will be heavy battles and that the enemy is preparing for that,” the head of the Ukrainian armed forces wrote in a statement on the Telegram app.
In addition to the fighting in Kharkiv, the Donetsk region has also seen some of the heaviest assaults. The British Defense Ministry’s intelligence reports that Russian troops are concentrating their efforts northwest of Avdiivka, attacking along both sides of the E50 highway, which is a crucial line of communication between occupied Donetsk and Ukraine-controlled Pokrovsk.
The Ukrainian military is facing substantial challenges, including a shortage of manpower and delays in receiving Western military support. As a result, Ukrainian forces have been pushed back in certain areas, and the pressure on the country’s power grid and civilian infrastructure has increased. In response to the ongoing threats, Ukraine has been developing its own drone and missile capabilities to target facilities in Russia supporting the war effort.
Recent Ukrainian strikes on the Crimean peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014. Russia-backed local officials in Crimea reported missile and drone attacks that killed two people in Simferopol. Additionally, Ukrainian forces successfully targeted the Moscow-controlled Belbek airbase in Crimea, destroying three Russian warplanes and a fuel facility.
Despite the heavy toll on both sides, the battle for control in eastern Ukraine shows no signs of abating. The U.S. is expected to announce an additional $275 million in military aid for Ukraine, including high mobility artillery rocket systems (HIMARS) and essential artillery rounds.
Relevant articles:
– Russia-Ukraine war updates: Ukraine’s east sees most intensive battles , Al Jazeera English, 05/24/2024
– Russia-Ukraine war – live: Putin arrives in Belarus to stage nuclear drills as Kyiv strikes occupied Crimea, Yahoo Singapore News, 05/23/2024
– Ukraine war news live: Putin arrives in Belarus to stage nuclear drills as Kyiv strikes occupied Crimea, The Independent, 05/22/2024
– Ukraine braces for heavy battles as Putin says Russia carving out ‘buffer zone’, Yahoo News UK, 05/21/2024
– Russian army makes small gains on eastern Ukraine front amid intense attacks — British intelligence, Yahoo Singapore News, 05/21/2024
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