Russian forces on Friday launched an armored assault in northeastern Ukraine in what officials in Kyiv said was a new offensive that had been expected for some time.
Ukraine said it sent reinforcements to the border near Kharkiv, which appeared to be the main focus of the attack. Russia’s attack began at 5 a.m. with airstrikes and artillery bombardments, followed by tanks.
“As of now, these attacks have been repelled, (but) battles of varying intensity continue,” Ukrainian defense officials said in a statement. “Reserve units have been deployed to strengthen the defenses in this area of the front.”
It wasn’t clear if the latest Russian attack was a ruse to force Kyiv to weaken Ukraine’s position at other points along the front line or if it represented a major effort to capture Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city.
A senior Ukrainian commander told The New York Times that the assault looked like more than just a probe or intelligence gathering.
“The commander called it the start of an offensive operation, adding that the Kremlin’s immediate goal appeared to be to create a buffer zone along the border,” the newspaper reported.
Also Friday, Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy discussed the battlefront with Zuzana Chaputova, the president of Slovakia. He said Ukraine still needs military support from other countries.
“Currently, not all of our partners promptly fulfill the agreements,” Mr. Zelenskyy said on Telegram. “We need the maximum concentration of the friends of Ukraine to speed up the delivery.”
• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.