President Volodymyr Zelensky said on May 18 that Ukrainian forces had repelled a Russian assault on Chasiv Yar in Donetsk Oblast, and that Russia is losing troops and military hardware.
Chasiv Yar, a largely destroyed town, has been seen as Russia’s next target after the fall of Bakhmut, while Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, is also a major Russian target.
Zelensky said that Russian forces also lost over 20 pieces of military hardware in Chasiv Yar.
“Our forces are delivering a strong rebuff to the occupiers wherever the situation is difficult - besides Kharkiv, in Kramatorsk, Pokrovsk, Kurakhove, and the southern direction,” Zelensky said in his evening address.
The president also said Russia suffered a “significant loss,” in Kharkiv Oblast, although Russian troops “were counting on a rapid advance through our land” like in 2022.
Read also: Russia’s new Kharkiv offensive pushes Vovchansk to the brink of annihilation
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin claimed on May 17 that Russia has no plans to capture Kharkiv "as of today" and is attacking Kharkiv Oblast in order to create a so-called buffer zone in the oblast to prevent shelling of Russia's Belgorod.
The Kremlin has made similar claims in the past about its intentions, namely when it repeatedly stated in the months, weeks and even days before the launch of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine that it had no plans to invade Ukraine.,
Russia has lost 491,080 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of its full-scale invasion on Feb. 24, 2022, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces reported on May 18. This number includes 1,210 Russian casualties just over the past day.
Russia's offensive in Kharkiv Oblast in mid-May could be the first of several waves, and Russian forces may target the regional capital, Kharkiv, Zelensky said a day before in an interview with AFP.
Russian troops managed to advance as far as 10 kilometers (6 miles) as a result.
Ukraine's military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, suggested on May 14 that Russian forces may launch a similar offensive in Sumy Oblast when the conditions are more favorable.
Read also: Sumy Oblast fortifies amid looming threat of Kharkiv attack
