Russian military attacks Ukraine’s Kharkiv region – POLITICO

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine was prepared for the attack and would confront the enemy with troops, brigades and artillery. Still, he warned that Russia may send more troops to support the ongoing attack.

“Russia has launched a new wave of counteroffensives in this direction,” Zelensky said at a news conference in Kiev. “Now there is a bitter fight in this direction.”

The possible goal of the offensive is to create a “buffer zone” along the border, a senior Ukrainian military source reported to Reuters.

Over the last month, Russia has stepped up its military activity around Kharkiv, using Ukraine’s limited air defenses to carry out bombing raids in and around the city.

Kharkiv is about 30 kilometers south of the Russian border and offered strong resistance to the first invasion in spring 2022. A rapid Ukrainian counteroffensive in September of that year pushed Moscow forces back far enough for many civilians to return.