Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that the battle for control of Kharkiv is "very difficult" but under control, as Russian forces amp up their attacks on all fronts.
Zelenskyy made the remarks while addressing military leaders, 18 miles from the Russo-Ukrainian border - just one week after Russia launched a ground assault targeting Kharkiv. The northeastern province is home to Ukraine's second-largest city and has been the target of attempted Russian incursions since 2014.
The May 9 attack marked the largest encroachment on Ukrainian land since December 2022, with the Russians seizing 107 square miles, according to an AFP analysis. Between 5,000 and 10,000 Russian soldiers poured across the border, while Ukrainian forces were largely absent, the Guardian reported.
The region's governor Oleg Synegubov said that Russia's advance had been partially stymied, while Ukraine attempts to "stabilize" the situation.
Zelenskyy assured Ukrainians that their military was "inflicting significant losses on the occupier," in a post made to the messaging app Telegram.
"However, the area remains extremely difficult," he added. "We are reinforcing our units."
The president also pleaded with the United States for more aid, asking Secretary of State Antony Blinken to send two $1 billion Patriot air defense batteries, after four Kharkiv residents were killed during bombings in the north. American restrictions, however, limit Ukraine's ability to defend itself, according to some analysts.
"It's suicidal for Ukraine to have its main line of defence on the border, where the Russians can hit you with artillery and glide bombs and the Ukrainians don't have weapons available like Himars rocket artillery to hit back because of US restrictions," George Barros of the Institute for the Study of War told the Guardian.
American leaders continue to emphasize their faith in Ukraine's ability to defeat Russia, even as the encroachment continues.
"I've been in very close contact with our Ukrainian colleagues and I'm confident that they will hold the line," US General Christopher Cavoli told AFP.
