Ukrainian forces halted Russian troops in the Kharkiv sector and are conducting counterattacks, Ihor Prokhorenko, a representative of the Main Operational Directorate of Ukraine's General Staff, said at a briefing in Kyiv on May 24.
"At the moment, (Russian forces) have been halted, the situation is under control, we are carrying out counterattacks," Prokhorenko said.
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.
Prokhorenko described the situation on the battlefield as "difficult," saying Ukrainian soldiers continue to hold the line in the country's east and south. Kharkiv and Donetsk oblasts are the areas of the most intense fighting, he said.
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"Regarding the Kharkiv sector, the enemy is conducting offensive operations to create a buffer zone," the colonel said, adding that "the situation is under control."
Russian troops are advancing in the east of Kharkiv Oblast, planning to bypass the town of Kupiansk, but have not yet succeeded, Prokhorenko said.
"Fierce fighting is ongoing almost along the entire front line. Defense forces are inflicting heavy losses on the invader, our artillery, unmanned systems and aviation are actively working," he added.
Russian troops are "completely bogged down" in street battles for the town of Vovchansk in Kharkiv Oblast and deploying their reserves from different sectors, Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces Oleksandr Syrskyi said on May 23.
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, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.
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