Russia said on Saturday that its forces had taken five border villages in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, where Russia launched an offensive on Friday, exploiting its increasing advantage on the battlefields of eastern Ukraine.
In its briefing on Saturday, the defense ministry said that Russian forces had taken the villages of Pletenivka, Ohirtseve, Borysivka, Pylna and Strilechna, all of which are directly on the Russian border.
The briefing also said that Russian troops had taken the village of Keramik in the Donetsk region further south, where Moscow has made slow but steady advances since seizing the longtime Ukrainian stronghold of Avdiivka in February.
Ukrainian officials said on Friday that Russia had launched a new cross-border offensive against Kharkiv region, which is centered around Kharkiv city, Ukraine’s second largest.
Russia kept up its attacks in the Kharkiv region on Saturday and was trying to advance further, Kharkiv Governor Oleh Syniehubov said.
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