Russian troops are "completely bogged down" in street battles for the town of Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast, having suffered "very heavy losses," Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi said on May 23.
Russia launched a new offensive on May 10 in northern Kharkiv Oblast. Moscow's forces had managed to advance as far as 10 kilometers (6 miles) into the region but had been halted by the first line of defense, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on May 16.
Russian troops are now deploying their reserves from different sectors, but fail to support active assault operations in the region, Syrskyi said.
Russia also switched to active defense near the village of Lyptsi, where its forces are mining the surrounding area and striking at Ukrainian soldiers' positions, according to the general.
Fighting is reportedly ongoing in a forest area north of the city of Kupiansk in Kharkiv Oblast.
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"The situation is difficult in the area of Kyslivka, where the enemy is trying to break through our defense and reach the Oskil River," Syrskyi said.
The general described the fighting in the Pokrovsk and Kurakhove sectors as "the most intense and fierce."
Russian troops are reportedly trying to break through the defense of Ukrainian troops on a narrow section of the front between the settlements of Staromykhailivka and Berdychi.
Intense fighting is also taking place near the village of Ivanivske and the town of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk Oblast, Syrskyi said. Russian forces are trying to "cling to the town at any cost," using modern equipment, he added.
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.
Read also: Governor: Around 100 civilians remain in Vovchansk, Russians have threatened to shoot them