Ukraine: Thousands evacuated from Kharkiv region following Russian offensive

Russia said on Sunday (12 May) it had captured four more villages in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, as thousands of residents were evacuated.

Volodymyr Zelensky said “fierce fighting” was under way and governor Oleg Synegubov said “all areas” of the regional border with Russia were now “under enemy fire almost around the clock”.

Local prosecutors said four civilians had been killed in the Kharkiv region in the Russian ground offensive, which was launched on Friday.

The Ukrainian army’s top commander said that although the situation was “complicated”, his forces were managing to hold back further Russian advances.

But Russia’s defence ministry said its troops had “advanced deeply into the enemy defences” a day after claiming the capture of five villages in Kharkiv region.