Moscow’s forces have seized territory inside northeastern Ukraine close to the major city of Kharkiv.
Russia’s new offensive into Ukraine’s frontier Kharkiv Oblast appears to be establishing a „buffer zone“ for Moscow’s troops in the northeastern region, as Kyiv scrambles to respond to the operation and rushes delayed Western military aid to the front.
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported on Monday evening that Russian units „continued to make tactically significant advances north and northeast of Kharkiv City on May 13 and currently appear to be prioritizing the rapid establishment of a ‚buffer zone‘ along the international border over setting conditions for deeper penetrations into northern Kharkiv Oblast.“ A map published by the ISW showed the Russian cross-border push stretched across around 40 miles, from the frontier settlements of Hoptivka, north of Kharkiv City, to Vovchansk, to the northeast of the city.
The fighting is taking place less than 15 miles from Kharkiv, which is Ukraine’s second city and, before the full-scale invasion, was home to more than 1.
