Zelenskyy confirms Russian troops launched offensive in Kharkiv region, it successfully halted
Photo: President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
This morning, the Ukrainian Defense Forces stopped Russia's offensive in the Kharkiv direction, according to President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
"As of 7-8 a.m., a fierce artillery battle took place. At that time, the Russian offensive was stopped," he says.
According to the President, the Armed Forces of Ukraine were ready for such actions of the Russians.
"Ukraine met them there with our troops, brigades, and artillery. It is important that they can increase and pull up more forces in this direction, but our military, our command knew about it and calculated their forces to meet the enemy with fire. Now there is a fierce battle in this direction, we met them with fire," Zelenskyy says.
Russian offensive on Kharkiv
Recently, the media reported that Russian occupation forces are planning new attacks on Kharkiv and Sumy. The Ukrainian authorities have stated that even if such plans exist, they are unlikely to be implemented.
Vadym Skibitskyi, a representative of the Defense Intelligence of Ukraine, said that Russia may be preparing an offensive against Kharkiv and Sumy region in late May or early June. However, according to him, Russian troops do not have enough force to capture these two large cities in eastern Ukraine.
At the same time, Ukrainian Armed Forces Reserve Major Oleksii Hetman told RBC-Ukraine that it would be difficult for the Russians to capture Kharkiv.
