Russia-Ukraine war live: Putin tries to claim Russia isn’t after Kharkiv – despite massive attack on region
Volodymyr Zelensky claims his forces have ‘stabilised’ a Russian attack in northeast Kharkiv region
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Your support makes all the difference.Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed there are “no plans” to take the northeastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv despite tens of thousands of his forces having recently stormed across the border into the region and getting within artillery range of the city.
Speaking on the second day of his two-day tour of China, Putin claimed he had ordered the attack to create a “buffer zone” between Ukrainian soldiers and the Russian region of Belgorod.
When asked if Russian forces planned to take control of Kharkiv city, some 20 miles from the current fighting, Putin said: “As for Kharkiv, there are no such plans as of today.”
While Ukrainian officials and military analysts maintain that Russian forces in the Kharkiv region do not have the manpower or weaponry to take its namesake capital, and that the attack is likely an attempt to create a “buffer zone”, as Putin puts it, as well as draw Ukrainian forces away from other battles further east, there is little doubt that Russia would try to invade the city if it had the capability.
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Russian forces have expanded the area of active combat by almost 43 miles (70 km) by launching their offensive in the Kharkiv region, Ukraine's army chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Friday
“The enemy expanded the zone of active hostilities by almost 70 kilometers, thus trying to force us to use an additional number of brigades from the reserve,” he wrote on Telegram.
He added that he expected fighting to intensify as Kyiv troops are also preparing to defend in northern region of Sumy.
Zelensky seeks to boost troop morale with visit to Kharkiv as soldiers battle Putin’s advancing forces
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Photos show Ukrainian soldiers defending against the Russian attack in the northeast Kharkiv region
Some photos have just dropped on the wires showing Ukrainian soldiers fighting against the Russian advance in the northeastern Kharkiv region.
The images are a rare insight into what life is like on the frontlines for Ukrainian soldiers.
Capturing Ukraine's Kharkiv is not part of Russia's current plan, says Putin
President Vladimir Putin has said that capturing the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv is not part of Russia’s current plan and that Russian forces operating nearby are creating a “buffer zone” for Russia’s own security.
Putin, who said that all of the military operations were proceeding according to plan, was speaking at a new conference in China.
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We have some more photos from the Ukrainian battle in Kharkiv
1Below we have some photos showing the Ukrainian battle with advancing Russian forces in the northeast Kharkiv region.
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