According to Ukrainian information, Russia is continuing its offensive with attacks on civilian targets in and around Kharkiv. Several people were injured. President Zelenskyj again called for anti-aircraft systems from the West.
According to the regional military administration, the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv and the outlying city of Vovchansk have again become targets of Russian attacks. In Kharkiv, a residential area was hit by several shells, Mayor Ihor Terekhov said on Telegram. Five people were injured.
Russian glide bombs and grenades also caused serious damage again in Vovchansk, northeast of Kharkiv. “Unfortunately, the city of Vovchansk has been practically completely destroyed by the enemy, who is attacking mercilessly with glide bombs,” wrote Security Council member Andrei Kovalenko on Telegram.
Map of Ukraine, hatched: territories occupied by Russia
Kyiv: Russian Breakthrough attempts repulsed
According to Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Synegubow, Ukrainian troops have repelled two Russian breakthrough attempts. The situation is “under control”. Synegubow said that almost 10,000 residents have been evacuated from across the region since the start of the Russian ground offensive.
Despite the repeated attacks, Vovchansk remains under Ukrainian control and the defensive positions have been reinforced. There were still around 100 civilians in the city, which had a population of around 18,000 before the start of the war. Meanwhile, Russia reported the capture of the village of Starytsia near Vovchansk.
Zelensky fears further waves of attacks
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj complained about a massive shortage of weapons for his country’s air defense. In an interview with the AFP news agency, he said he feared an expansion of the Russian offensive in eastern Ukraine.
Ukraine currently only has a quarter of the anti-aircraft systems it needs to defend itself, Zelensky said. In addition, his army needs around 120 to 130 modern fighter jets to achieve a balance of power in the air with Russia’s troops.
Russia advanced five to ten kilometers in its ground offensive in the Kharkiv area that began a good week ago. Further waves of attacks are to be feared: “We must soberly state that they have advanced further into our territory,” said the president in his first interview since the start of the Russian ground offensive in the Kharkiv region on May 10.
In the advance, Russian troops captured at least 278 square kilometers of land, according to data from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) – their largest terrain gain since the end of 2022.
Recruitment age reduced to 25 for Ukrainians
In the AFP interview, Zelensky admitted problems with the morale of Ukrainian troops after more than two years of war and with the recruitment of new soldiers. There are a significant number of brigades that urgently need to be replenished, he said. Supplies are needed to enable troop rotation.
The Ukrainian law, passed after heated debates, has now come into force, lowering the minimum age for conscription into military service by two years to 25 years. In addition, the punishment for men who try to evade their obligation has been increased.
Can Ukraine use Western weapons to fire at Russia?
Zelensky was critical of the restriction not to use Western weapons to attack Russian territory. Russia can fire all weapons at Ukraine from its territory, but Ukraine cannot do the same. “This is the biggest advantage Russia has.”
An assessment that is shared in an analysis by the Institute for War Studies (ISW) in Washington: Russia is using the restrictions to attack from a protected area directly from the area on the border with Ukraine, according to the ISW.
Britain and the US have indicated in recent days that these bans could be relaxed. During a visit to Kiev, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized that Ukraine would ultimately have to decide for itself how to wage the war.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had previously rejected the delivery of long-range cruise missiles such as the “Taurus” system.