Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that last week Russia launched an attack on a new front in northeastern Ukraine, advancing 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) before being repelled at the first line of defense in Kharkiv Oblast.
In a briefing on Thursday evening, Zelensky told reporters, “Our defense forces have repelled their advance in the areas where the Russians are currently located. They advanced up to 10 kilometers, while in other areas there was no progress.”
Kyiv has rushed reinforcements to the region to repel Russia’s largest ground invasion since 2022. Previously, Russia conducted weeks of airstrikes with glide bombs and ballistic missiles in the region, and with air superiority, they occupied the border town of Vovchansk in northeastern Ukraine on Wednesday, constructing fortifications in the streets.
Ukraine has established three lines of defense at the front, with the third line being the strongest, built with concrete structures. Zelensky stated that the Ukrainian military now has an adequate supply of ammunition.
Zelensky also called on allies to allow Ukraine to use Western weapons to target Russian assets within Russia.
According to Voice of America, Jack Watling, a senior researcher at the UK Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) in London, stated that the Russian forces advancing into Ukraine have increased to over 500,000, giving them a significant numerical advantage over Ukraine.
It is not yet clear if the Russian incursion into northeastern Ukraine is a major Russian offensive effort or just an attempt to divert Ukrainian forces in distress from other battlefields in the south and east.
Watling analyzed, “Russia’s goal is not to achieve major breakthroughs, but to make Ukraine believe that the Russian forces can continue an unstoppable advance along the front, progressing kilometer by kilometer.”
Although the US has approved a comprehensive military aid package for Ukraine, and Secretary of State Blinken has confirmed that some aid has already arrived or will soon be delivered, Zelensky stated that more effort is still needed, particularly in terms of air defense. In a speech on Wednesday evening, he said, “There is a significant gap between announcing aid packages and actual weaponry appearing on the front lines.”