By 70 kilometers
Russian troops expand combat zone
The Ukrainian army has acknowledged a massive advance by Russian troops in the Kharkiv region. The combat area has been expanded by almost 70 kilometers, army chief Oleksandr Syrskyj said on Friday.
The enemy had launched the offensive in order to force Ukraine to deploy additional reserve brigades. Syrskyj expects the fighting to intensify. Russian ruler Vladimir Putin also commented on the current situation and said that Russian forces were advancing "as planned" near Kharkiv. However, there is currently no plan to take the city of millions.
Putin wants to establish a "buffer zone"
According to Putin, who is currently in China, the Russian armed forces deployed in the vicinity are establishing a "buffer zone" for Russia's security. The Kremlin leader justified the Russian plans with the fact that the Russian region of Belgorod is being massively bombarded with drones and missiles.
Because the leadership in Moscow repeatedly refers to Kharkiv as a Russian city, many experts assume that the Kremlin also wants to annex the region. Putin denied this for the first time, stating that there are currently no plans to do so. He thus contradicted his predecessor Dmitry Medvedev, who had described a recent trip to Kharkiv by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi as a "farewell visit".
The Russian attack in the region began last week. Several villages on the border were occupied relatively quickly - helped by the fact that the Ukrainian armed forces were not allowed to use their western weapons against the troops deployed on the other side of the border. In addition, the defensive positions were not as well developed as they should have been.
No strategic breakthrough?
The NATO Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, Christopher Cavoli, does not expect a strategic breakthrough by the Russian army near Kharkiv (see video above). "They are capable of making local advances, and they have done so. But they have also suffered some local losses," he said. More soldiers would be needed for a strategic breakthrough.
"I am in very close contact with our Ukrainian colleagues and I am confident that they will hold the line." This Friday marks 814 days of war.
This article has been automatically translated,
read the original article here.
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