Russia’s Northern Ukraine assault

Russian Surprise Assault on Northern Ukraine: Most Serious Cross-Border Offensive in Two Years

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky stated that the cross-border assault is a component of “a fresh wave of counteroffensive actions” by Russia.

Russian forces have launched two cross-border assaults into northern Ukraine, according to Ukrainian sources and officials, in what President Volodymyr Zelensky is calling a “new wave of counteroffensive actions” by Russia.

In the first incident, Russian soldiers penetrated at least one kilometer towards the town of Vovchansk, a Ukrainian military source told CNN. The objective, the source stated, was “to penetrate 10 kilometers deep and establish a buffer zone at the border to protect Russian territory from the war.”

According to a statement from Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, Russian soldiers, supported by armored vehicles, crossed the border around 5:00 am Friday, following a day of intensified attacks on the border area with guided aerial bombs and artillery.

The statement added that Ukrainian reserve units had been mobilized to reinforce defenses in the region.

A second Ukrainian source with direct knowledge of frontline developments told CNN that Russian forces also penetrated five kilometers inside Ukraine towards the village of Krasne, about 75 kilometers west of Vovchansk along the border.

The source reported that the Russian ground assault towards Krasne was conducted by four Russian battalions, comprising about 2000 men.

Ukrainian officials have provided limited information about the second Russian push, though Ukraine’s General Staff, in its Friday evening update, acknowledged Russian attacks in the Krasne area and two neighboring villages.

DeepStateMap, a Ukrainian monitoring group, noted on its Telegram channel that the number of Russian forces involved in the two cross-border assaults was not enough for a deeper advance into Ukrainian territory. However, it pointed out that Moscow has approximately 40,000 troops positioned along the border.

When asked about the developments, President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged their seriousness but stated that Ukraine’s military had anticipated such a move.

“Russia launched a new wave of counteroffensive actions in [northern Kharkiv region],” Zelensky told reporters. “Ukraine met them there with our troops, brigades, and artillery.”

“Our military and military command were aware of this and expected their forces to encounter the enemy with fire. There is currently a fierce battle in this area… I believe we have halted the enemy with artillery fire,” Zelensky said.

Oleh Syniehubov, the head of Kharkiv’s regional military administration, reported on Telegram that two civilians had been killed in the Russian offensive and several more wounded.

Residents of border villages have been instructed to evacuate, with national police assisting in transporting people and their belongings to safer locations.

These developments mark the most serious cross-border ground assault by Russia since Ukraine re-captured territory in the northern Kharkiv region in late summer 2022, after it was initially taken by Russia in the opening weeks of its full-scale invasion.

The assaults also follow several months of increased Russian air attacks on Kharkiv, which have disabled the city’s power generating capacity and sub-stations.

Syniehubov stated that the latest Russian ground assaults did not pose a heightened risk to Kharkiv city, which lies just 30 kilometers south of the Russian border. “The enemy group does not pose a threat to Kharkiv city; its forces are only sufficient for provocations in the northern direction,” he said.

However, analysts caution that if Russian forces were able to advance further south, it could bring the northern edge of the city within range of Russian artillery, which has a firing range of about 20 kilometers.