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☆ Ukraine: Battles rage outside Kharkiv as troops try to hold back Russian advance
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Nick Paton Walsh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Russia’s relentless onslaught has a key goal: If they take Lyptsi, then they can position artillery within range of Ukraine’s second city, Kharkiv, 20 minutes down the road. “They’re not sending just anyone into the assaults.”His stare lengthens when asked about what fortifications were in place before the surprise Russian attack. At one position closer to the Russian border, the 92nd Assault Brigade showed CNN a Russian artillery gun, captured in the first days of the war, from which they are now firing French mortar shells. The gun was partially hidden by a wire net, aimed at providing some protection from an attack drone. Attacks persisted in the distance however, keeping the city’s residents awake through violently loud nights, now amplified by the threat of Russian artillery edging closer.

Persons: ”, “ They’re, Artun, Mick Krever, tugging, ” Artun, “, CNN’s Nick Paton Walsh, Oleksandr, Brice Lainé Organizations: CNN, National Guard, 92nd Assault Brigade Locations: Ukraine, Kharkiv, Russian, Soviet, Lyptsi, Russia, Cherkaska Lozova

The “Code 9.2” drone unit, from the 92nd assault brigade, are moving into a new launch position from where they are about to conduct a rare and potent mission: flying drones into Russia and dropping mines onto key roads inside enemy territory. It is only when the dark has set in that their work can begin. Before operators Andrey and Artem can leave the bunker to begin work, a noise sends them rushing back in for cover. It is only when the dark has set in that the work of Ukrainian drone unit 'Code 9.2' can begin. Artem and Andrey race to attach the mines to the drone, using only red lights.

Persons: Andrey, Artem, “, ” Andrey hisses, ”, Vladimir Putin, Brice Lainé, Ukraine’s, Sasha, Volodymyr Zelensky –, – Organizations: Ukraine CNN, 92nd, CNN Locations: Russian, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Russia, Belgorod, Kharkiv, Bakhmut, Ukrainian, Donetsk, –, “, Moscow

For the Ukrainian border town of Vovchansk, they’re getting worse. Locals in the town lived through occupation and liberation for seven grueling months in 2022. The Russian military claims the action has left close to a dozen villages under its control. Maria, 85, evacuates the Ukrainian town of Vovchansk. The Russians held our boys there.” There has been widespread reporting of mistreatment of Ukrainian civilians under Russian occupation, allegations the Kremlin has typically dismissed as fake.

Persons: they’re, Vladimir Putin’s, Mykola, –, “, ”, Maksim, Maria, haltingly, Inna, they’ve, Vovchansk Organizations: Ukraine CNN —, Locals, CNN, Russian Locations: Vovchansk, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Moscow, Kyiv, Russia, Kharkiv

Instead, Ukrainian soldiers say they must sit and await an order to join the fight around them. The unit’s commander, Yaroslav, said he understood the war in Ukraine might feel “very far away” to Western politicians. That’s going to be very bad for us.”Residents of the eastern Ukrainian village of Zhelanie being evacuated due to ongoing shelling. If the situation gets critical… we are friends with the boys (Ukrainian soldiers), they come here for water. Another woman, who asked to speak anonymously, said Ukrainian soldiers had based themselves near civilians, were drawing Russian fire on the area, and were using up local resources.

Persons: Yaroslav, ” Yaroslav, “, Oleksandr, ”, Garrison Foster, Anna Maja Rappard, Viktor, wistfully, Ocheretyne, “ I’m, Valentina, “ It’s Organizations: Ukraine CNN, CNN, United States Congress, ”, CNN Russian, Avdiivka, Republican, CNN CNN Locations: Ocheretyne, Ukraine, Chasiv Yar, Bakhmut, Western, Russian, Europe, Ukrainian, Ivanivske, Avdiivka, Moscow, Russia, Orlivka, Georgia, ”, Zhelanie, Kaliningrad, Half

Ukraine announced a withdrawal from Avdiivka on February 17 to a series of positions to the town’s west. Yet three tiny villages have since fallen to Russian forces, with Kyiv insisting they never intended to defend them. Fierce clashes have persisted around the other two villages near Avdiivka, Tonenke and Berdychi. A Ukrainian soldier prepares a shell for a drone on the front line near Avdiivka on February 20, 2024. Inna Varenytsia/ReutersDrone footage of Russian forces has repeatedly revealed a military unafraid of sending troops at speed into indefensible positions where they will likely be killed.

Persons: Gen, Oleksandr Syrskyi, Syrskyi, ” Syrskyi, Valery Zaluzhny, Volodymyr Zelensky, “, ”, Zelensky, Inna Varenytsia Organizations: CNN, Presidential Press Service, demilitarize, Soldiers, Reuters, Ukraine’s 47th Mechanized Brigade, Bradley Locations: Avdiivka, Ukraine, Russian, Moscow, ”, Russia, Col, Kyiv, Orlivka, Berdychi, Ukrainian, Ukraine’s

It swerves and is hit by a grenade, dropped from a Ukrainian drone. Russian soldiers appear to stagger away from it, one rolling. Yet since the fall of Avdiivka on February 17, Ukrainian military officials have reported regular Russian assaults on Robotyne. Two Russian soldiers can be seen clambering inside the ruins of a dugout, one manhandling a shovel. Ukrainian drone pilots now face Russian counterparts who have replaced their units but at a much larger scale, they said.

Persons: Ukraine CNN —, Maja Rappard, “, ” Bohdan, ”, Anton, shellfire Organizations: Ukraine CNN, CNN, 15th National Guard, Robotyne, 65th Mechanised Brigade, NATO Locations: Orikhiv, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Belgian, Russian, Avdiivka, Lviv

Two years ago, it became the first major Ukrainian city to fall, as Russians forces swept in from Crimea. Yet, as the war enters its third year, residents describe the shelling from Russian forces under a mile away across the Dnipro River as the worst yet. And despite the icy Dnipro lying between Ukrainian forces and a Russian assault, freshly dug trenches line parts of the riverside. Across the river, within line of sight, are Russian soldiers who launch near-constant shelling on to the city of Kherson. Near-constant Russian shelling has turned Kherson into a ghost city two years into the war.

Persons: Maja Rappard, Sergei Shoigu, Vladimir Putin, Volodymyr Zelensky, Anna, CNN “, ”, “, I’m, Sophia, ” Sophia, Natalia, …, ” Natalia, What’s Organizations: CNN — Kherson, CNN, Russian, Ukraine, Ukrainian, CNN CNN, CNn Locations: Ukrainian, Crimea, Dnipro, Kherson, Krynky, Russian, Moscow, Hrigorii, Soviet, ”

Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine CNN —For Dima, the silence away from the horrors can be harder to bear. Now the damage to the town and the risk of his work is such that he says he works one shift a week. Like so many Ukrainians now, whose lives have been torn apart by the war, he struggles with the calm of rest days, and yearns to be back at work. And when I go to work, at least I feel at home and I can get some sleep, despite the shelling. You get tired, it is hard, but I can sleep there.”A building in Orikhiv destroyed by Russian shelling.

Persons: Dima, ”, “, Brice Laine, ” Dima, Dima’s, shellfire, ’, Orikhiv Organizations: Ukraine CNN —, CNN, ” CNN Locations: Zaporizhzhia, Ukraine, Orikhiv, Europe, ”

Heavy artillery fire prevented entry into the village, as Russian forces shelled Ukrainian troops holding the area. Drone footage of the intense fight for the village has emerged in which dozens of Russian troops can be seen fleeing to the village’s south. More than 100 countries have banned the use of cluster weapons via treaty, though the Ukraine, Russia and the United States are not signatories to that international treaty. By comparison, Russian cluster weapons, also said to be in use during their invasion of Ukraine, are claimed by Western officials to have a dud rate of 30%. CNN was unable to confirm the devices identified by experts as likely cluster munitions in the videos from Urozhaine were US-supplied weapons.

Persons: Hanna Maliar, treelines, Dykyi, ” Dykyi, Biden, “, Harry Potter, ” Organizations: Ukraine CNN —, CNN, Marines, Western, Ukrainian, Ukrainian Armed Forces, Reuters Locations: Urozhaine, Ukraine, Mariupol, Russia, United States, Russian

During a week spent with troops around the town of Orikhiv, CNN saw a palpable improvement in morale as some advances appeared to be made. Destroyed buildings in the city of Orikhiv in Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia region, which has been pummelled for months by Russian bombardment. Russian air superiority is taking Ukrainian lives daily, with half-ton bombs landing frequently – sometimes 20 in as many minutes. Ukrainian troops constantly relocate and hide their vehicles at every opportunity to frustrate Russian targeting. Brice Lane/CNNA Ukrainian tank fires from a treeline towards Russian forces on the country's southern frontline.

Persons: Eastern Ukraine CNN —, Ukraine’s, that’s, –, ”, Vitaly, Brice Lane, chatted, Eugene, “, Vlad, ” Eugene, Andrei, CNN Vlad, …, Julia, it’s Organizations: Eastern Ukraine CNN, NATO, CNN, 15th National Guard, Kyiv, 15th National Guard Brigade, ”, Russian Locations: Eastern Ukraine, Soviet, Robotine, Orikhiv, Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Ukraine, Russian, Ukraine's, Ukrainian

At one point, Russian officials even claimed to have kicked Ukrainian forces back out of the village, which Ukraine staunchly denied. “That’s the hardest part.”Images from drone footage show the extensive damage to Staromayorske, Ukraine. Ukraine’s position is made harder still given Russian forces are on the eastern side of the river, able to use its natural boundary from which they can fire artillery. The wall graffiti is equally bleak: “There is no love.” “God is for Russia.” “Welcome to Mordor.”It is a nihilism that only amplifies a key question Ukrainian forces have: Why do the Russian troops fight so hard for these tiny settlements? The fact that Russian forces fight so persistently for each settlement has raised doubts about claims that Russia’s defensive line is fierce but thin.

Persons: Ukraine’s, Krivyh Rih, ” Krivbas, ’ Krivbas, Neskuchne, Krivbas, ”, ‘, haven’t, Reva, deminer Organizations: Ukraine CNN, Ukrainian, Ukraine, Staromayorske, Marines, CNN, Pentagon, ‘, Russian, Storm, AK Locations: Neskuchne, Ukraine, Staromayorske, Mariupol, Krivyh, Russian, “, Russia, Mordor

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