Ukraine fires commander in huge move as Russia threatens complete takeover of Kharkiv
The sacking comes after multiple claims of sabotage as Russian soldiers were allegedly able to enter the Kharkiv region unopposed.
Ukraine has sacked its commander in Kharkiv as the key battleground city comes under intense attack from Russian forces.
Nazar Voloshyn told RBC-Ukraine media that the decision was made on Saturday, replacing the old commander with Brigadier General Mykhailo Drapatyi.
This comes amid fears Russia is about to take control of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city.
On Monday, Ukraine admitted that Russia is enjoying "tactical success" in the region.
Kharkiv’s governor, Oleh Syniehubov, told local TV: "The enemy is trying to deliberately stretch it [the frontline], attacking in small groups, but in new directions, so to speak."
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Reports from the frontline have indicated that Russia is taking control of more villages as its troops continue to advance.
Multiple sources have claimed that Russian soldiers were able to enter the Kharkiv region unopposed.Denys Yaroslavsky, a unit commander fighting in the area, said on Facebook:
- "The first line of fortifications and mines just didn’t exist.
- "The enemy freely entered the grey area, across the border line, which in principle should not have been grey.
- "We come to the conclusion that this is either insane theft or deliberate sabotage. I say this because we can die and no one will hear the truth. Then why is it all for?”
UK shadow defence and foreign secretaries visit Ukraine
The UK’s shadow defence and foreign secretaries have travelled to Ukraine to pledge their “ironclad” support for Kyiv’s war effort.
British shadow foreign secretary, David Lammy, and shadow defence secretary, John Healey, visited the town of Bucha and met with war crimes experts who are investigating alleged crimes committed by Russian forces in March 2022.
Mr Lammy said of the visit: “As detailed to me yesterday, the crimes committed by Russian forces in Bucha are heinous.
“The international community must continue to support Ukraine, in all areas, including in the area of accountability within atrocity crimes. Labour is committed to holding the Russian regime to account for its crimes.”
‘Unlikely’ Russia has combat power to take Kharkiv, UK says
It is unlikely Russia has the combat power to take Kharkiv without diverting more resources to the region, the UK’s ministry of defence said.
A colonel, who did not want to be named, previously told The Independent the present Russian attack would likely be limited - with the aim of establishing a no man’s land between Russia and Ukraine’s Sumy and Kharkiv regions.
It comes after Kyiv warned up to 30,000 Russian troops were involved in the attack on the Kharkiv region after Moscow began targeting it last week.
“At the moment, Russian actions in the border area are ongoing,” Oleksandr Lytvynenko, the recently appointed secretary of Ukraine’s security council, said.
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Pictured: Blinken arrives in Kyiv
Up to 30,000 Russian troops attacking Kharkiv, Kyiv says
Up to 30,000 Russian troops are involved in the attack on Kharkiv after Putin’s forces began targeting the region last week, Kyiv warned.
“At the moment, Russian actions in the border area are ongoing,” Oleksandr Lytvynenko, the recently appointed secretary of Ukraine’s security council, said.
“We can say that we don’t see any threat of assault on the city of Kharkiv. But there are a lot of Russians, quite a lot. About 50,000 were on the border.” He warned that “more than 30,000” were involved in the current attack.
Ukraine’s Military Intel Chief warns from his Kharkiv bunker that the Russian forces will launch an offensive in the Sumy region in the coming days.
(HUR), said speaking with a journalist from The New York Times (NYT) from a bunker in Kharkiv.
Budanov said that the current Russian attacks in the northeast are aimed at stretching the already thin reserves of Ukrainian soldiers and distracting them from fighting elsewhere.
The Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) are redeploying troops from other parts of the front to bolster their defenses in the northeast, but have had difficulty finding personnel.
According to Budanov, the situation in the Kharkiv region, where Russian troops launched a surprise offensive last week, is on the brink, and every hour, the situation is getting closer to critical.
Sr. Lt. Denys Yaroslavsky, who commands a unit fighting in the Kharkiv region, said Russians are raining missiles on Vovchansk.
"They are dropping five to seven bombs every three minutes," Yaroslavsky told The NYT.
At the same time, according to Oleksandr Lytvynenko, Ukraine's Security Council Chief, there is no imminent threat of a ground assault on Kharkiv yet.
“At the moment, Russian actions in the border [sector] are ongoing,” Oleksandr Lytvynenko, the recently appointed secretary of Ukraine’s Security Council, told AFP in an interview in Kyiv.
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