Saturday’s recap:
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he expected, in an exclusive interview with AFP, a broader offensive by the Russian army in the north and east, where it is continuing its large-scale assault launched on the 10 May which would aim to take the large city of Kharkiv.
He nevertheless assured that, despite Russian advances in recent days in the Kharkiv region in the northeast, the situation was better for Ukrainian forces than a week ago, when enemy troops crossed the line by surprise. border.
For him, Russia wants to attack Kharkiv, the second largest city in the country, only a few dozen kilometers from the front.
Mr. Zelensky admitted to AFP that military personnel were insufficient. “There are a significant number of brigades that are empty,” he said.
Faced with these deficiencies, controversial legislation came into force on Saturday to accelerate mobilization with the lowering of the minimum age from 27 to 25 years. On Friday, Mr. Zelensky also promulgated a law allowing the recruitment of prisoners in exchange for conditional release.
Speaking to the West, he lamented having only a quarter of the air defense systems that Ukraine needs, adding that he also needed 120 to 130 F-16 fighter jets.
In the Kharkiv region, Russia announced on Saturday that it had captured the village of Staritsa near Vovtchansk, a town located around fifty kilometers from Kharkiv, ensuring that its forces “continue their advance deep into the defensive positions of the ‘enemy”.
Nearly ten thousand people were forced to leave their homes in the Kharkiv region, Ukrainian authorities said. “A total of 9,907 people were evacuated,” Governor Oleg Synegoubov said on Saturday.