Russia launches surprise attack on northern Ukraine in most serious cross-border attack in two years

(CNN) — Russian forces launched two cross-border attacks inside northern Ukraine, according to information from Ukrainian sources and officials, in what President Volodymyr Zelensky called a “new wave of retaliatory actions” by Russia.

In the first development, Russian troops advanced at least a kilometer into the city of Vovchansk, a Ukrainian military source told CNN. “The goal was to reach 10 kilometers deep and create a buffer zone along the border to protect Russian territory from the spirit of war,” the source said.

In an official statement, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said Russian troops supported by armored vehicles crossed the border around 5:00 a.m. local time on Friday, a day after intensified attacks in the border area with guided aerial bombs and artillery. Had taken.

The statement said Ukrainian reserve units were deployed to strengthen security in the area.

A second Ukrainian source with direct knowledge of developments on the front line told CNN that Russian troops had advanced five kilometers into Ukraine toward the village of Krasne, located about 75 kilometers west of Vovchansk.

The source said that the Russian ground attack towards Krasne was carried out by four Russian battalions, about 2,000 men.

Ukrainian officials have not provided further details about the second Russian attack, although the Ukrainian General Staff noted Russian attacks in the Krasnoye region and two neighboring villages in its update on Friday night, local time.

It is also notable that DeepStateMap, a Ukrainian monitoring group that updates developments on a daily basis, showed four villages next to each other – including Krasne – in the gray area, rather than under Ukraine’s current control. Represents the disputed area.

DeepStateMap also noted on its Telegram channel that the number of Russian forces deployed in the two cross-border attacks was not enough to advance deep into Ukrainian territory, but also drew attention to the fact that Moscow had more troops over the border. According to estimates, around 40,000 are deployed.

Asked about the developments, President Volodymyr Zelensky did not downplay their seriousness, but said the Ukrainian military had expected such a move.

“Russia launched a new wave of retaliatory measures in (the northern Kharkiv region). “Ukraine welcomed them there with our troops, brigades and artillery,” he told reporters Friday afternoon.

“But our army and our military command knew about it and they anticipated that their forces would come under fire from the enemy. Now there is a fierce battle going on in this area (…) I think that from now on we have stopped the enemy with artillery fire, ”Zelensky said.

Oleh Sinyhubov, head of the Kharkiv regional military administration, said on Telegram that the Russian attack killed two civilians and wounded several others.

Authorities have ordered the evacuation of residents of border villages. The National Police posted photos and a video on social media showing officers helping people pack their belongings into police vehicles before taking them to safe places.

The development marks the most serious cross-border ground attack by Russia since Ukraine recaptured the northern Kharkiv region in late summer 2022, when Russia first seized it in the early weeks of the massive invasion Was.

This comes after several months of increased Russian airstrikes against the city of Kharkiv, which have destroyed all of the city’s power generation capacity as well as its substations.

Sinihubov stressed that the latest Russian ground attacks did not put the city, which is located just 30 kilometers south of the Russian border, into much danger.

“The enemy group does not pose a threat to the city of Kharkiv, its forces are only sufficient for provocation in the northern direction.”

However, analysts say that if Russian forces could advance too far to the south, they could put the northern edge of the city within range of Russian artillery, which can fire out to about 20 kilometers.