Russia captures four more villages in Ukraine's northern Kharkiv region

Moscow [Russia], May 13 : A day after Russia claimed to have captured five villages after launching a fresh ground assault in north-eastern Ukraine, Moscow has now gained hold of four more villages in the northern Kharkiv region, CNN reported, citing Ukraine's top general on Monday.

Although a Ukrainian regional official acknowledged that ground combat was spreading, he maintained that Russia had not made "significant" progress to date.

As per CNN, it is unclear as of now, exactly what Russia hopes to achieve with this fresh campaign, which started early on Friday morning.

According to information from the Defence Ministry in Moscow, Russia now claims control over nine Ukrainian border villages, which are clustered in two areas, now just a few dozen kilometres apart, to the northeast of Kharkiv city.

The Russian forces captured five villages after launching fresh ground assault in north-eastern Ukraine, Al Jazeera reported on Sunday, citing the Russian Ministry of Defence.

However, the Ukrainian officials did not confirm whether Russia had taken the villages, which lie in a contested "grey zone" on the border of Ukraine's Kharkiv region and Russia.

Al Jazeera reported, citing several Ukrainian journalists, who said that the villages of Borysivka, Ohirtseve, Pylna and Strilecha were taken by Russian troops on Friday.

Russia claimed that the village of Pletenivka was also taken.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Saturday evening (local time) that fighting was continuing in Strilecha and Pletenivka, as well as Krasne, Morokhovets, Oliinykove, Lukyantsi and Hatyshche.

"Our troops are carrying out counterattacks there for a second day, protecting Ukrainian territory," he said.

Earlier on Friday, the Institute for the Study of War said that geolocated footage confirms at least one of the villages was seized. The Washington-based think tank described recent Russian gains as "tactically significant."

The renewed assault on the region has forced more than 1,700 civilians residing in settlements near the fighting to flee, according to Ukrainian authorities.

It comes after Russia stepped up attacks in March targeting energy infrastructure and settlements, which analysts predicted were a concerted effort by Moscow to shape conditions for an offensive.

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