Ukraine holds about 60% of border town of Vovchansk, deputy governor saysUkraine still controls about 60% of Vovchansk, an almost deserted town in its northeastern Kharkiv region, despite a relentless Russian offensive, deputy governor Roman Semenukha told national television on Monday.
He said:
The enemy continues to try, especially inside Vovchansk, to push the Ukrainian armed forces out of the town.
About 60% of the city is controlled by the Ukrainian armed forces, meaning that the assaults do not stop.
In recent months, Russian forces have seized the initiative in the conflict, as Kyiv experiences difficult shortages of reserves and weaponry, the latter partly caused by months of wrangling in Congress that delayed a huge US military aid package.
Russian forces launched a surprise assault in Kharkiv region on 10 May that has resulted in their biggest territorial gains in a year-and-a-half.
Ukrainian officials have accused Russian soldiers in Vovchansk of capturing dozens of civilians and using them as “human shields” to defend their command headquarters – a claim that has not yet been independently verified.