Ukrainian forces, meanwhile, said it continued efforts to repel the stepped-up Russian attacks while hundreds of Ukrainian civilians have been evacuated from the northern Kharkiv region. Ukraine’s Oleh Syniehubov, Head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, disputed that the five villages in the Kharkiv Region had been captured in a statement on Saturday. The grey zone represents territory currently contested rather than under full Russian or Ukrainian control. At least three people died as a result of Russian strikes on Kharkiv region overnight, according to the head of the region’s military administration. Its forces attacked Kharkiv region after the full-scale invasion began in 2022 but were forced out in a Ukrainian counteroffensive later that year.

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Persons: CNN —, Volodymyr Zelensky, Oleh, ” Syniehubov, “, Andrey Bocharov, ” Organizations: CNN, Russia’s Ministry of Defense, “, Sever Group of Forces, Kharkiv Regional Military Administration, The Defense Forces Locations: Kharkiv, Ukraine, Russia, Moscow, Keramik, Donetsk, Ukrainian, Kharkiv Region, Strilecha, Oliynykove, Volgograd