As thousands of people were evacuated in an area where Russian troops were repelled in 2022, Russia announced on Sunday that it had taken control of four more villages in the Kharkiv region of Ukraine.
“Fierce fighting” was reported by President Volodymyr Zelensky, and “all areas” of the regional border with Russia were now “under enemy fire almost around the clock,” according to Governor Oleg Synegubov.
In what would be a significant shuffle of the military hierarchy, Russian President Vladimir Putin moved to replace Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in Moscow.
Emergency services reported that 15 people had died in the Russian city of Belgorod when a Ukrainian missile struck a residential building after it was intercepted by air defenses.
In Ukraine, local prosecutors said four civilians had been killed in the Kharkiv region in the Russian ground offensive, which was launched on Friday.
The Ukrainian army’s top commander said that although the situation was “complicated,” his forces were managing to hold back further Russian advances.
But Russia’s defense ministry said its forces had “advanced deeply into the enemy defences,” a day after claiming the capture of five villages in Kharkiv region.
At an evacuation point near the front line in the Kharkiv region, AFP reporters on Sunday saw groups of people evacuated from around the border town of Vovchansk, most of them elderly and disoriented.
“We weren’t going to leave. Home is home,” said 72-year-old Lyuda Zelenskaya, hugging a trembling cat named Zhora.
Liuba Konovalova, 70, said she had endured a “really terrifying” night before her evacuation.
Volunteers assisted evacuees to a few wooden benches where they registered and received food before being evacuated towards Kharkiv, the regional capital.
In the last few days, nearly 6,000 residents in and around Vovchansk have been evacuated, said Kharkiv governor Synegubov.
“Defensive battles and fierce fighting continue on a large part of our border,” Zelensky said in his evening address.
“There are villages that have actually turned from a ‘grey zone’ into a combat zone, and the occupier is trying to gain a foothold in some of them, or simply use them for further advancement,” he said.
A “grey zone” is territory not fully controlled by either side.
Zelensky added the situation was “extremely difficult” around Vovchansk.
‘Everything is being destroyed’
Speaking at an evacuation point near Vovchansk, Oleksiy Kharkivsky, a senior police officer helping to coordinate evacuations, said the area was “constantly under fire.”
“Everything in the city is being destroyed... You hear constant explosions, artillery, mortars. The enemy is hitting the city with everything they have,” he said.
Officials estimated there were still around 500 civilians left in Vovchansk as Russian troops close in.
Volodymyr Tymoshko, head of police in the Kharkiv region, said the town was being attacked on three sides and Russian troops were on the outskirts.
