Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has cautioned that Russia’s offensive in the northeastern Kharkiv region might be the beginning of a broader assault, urging allies to provide more air defense systems and fighter jets. The surprise attack on May 10 led to the most significant Russian territorial gains in 18 months.
In an interview with AFP, Zelenskyy admitted that Ukraine possesses only a quarter of the air defenses required to maintain the front line. He noted that Russian forces had advanced between 5 to 10 kilometers (3-6 miles) before Ukrainian forces halted their progress.
Kharkiv Governor Oleg Synegubov reported on Saturday that 9,907 people were evacuated following the ground attack. Al Jazeera’s John Holman, reporting from Kharkiv, mentioned that Ukrainian troops are currently outnumbered, with a ratio of seven Russian soldiers to one Ukrainian soldier in some front line areas.
To bolster troop numbers, Zelenskyy enacted two new laws: one allowing prisoners to join the army and another increasing fines for draft evasion fivefold. He stressed the need for 120 to 130 F-16 fighter jets or other advanced aircraft to achieve air parity with Russia, stating that Ukraine currently has about 25 percent of the necessary air defenses.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, on a visit to China, asserted that the Kharkiv offensive aims to create a buffer zone and that Russia does not intend to capture Kharkiv city. He claimed the attacks were in response to Ukrainian shelling of Russia’s Belgorod region and were meant to establish a security zone.
Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskii, commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, noted that Russia’s new offensive has expanded the active combat zone by nearly 70 kilometers (45 miles) to force Ukraine to disperse its forces and use reserves.
In retaliation, Ukraine launched counterstrikes and drone raids on Russian-occupied Crimea. A Ukrainian intelligence official confirmed to the Associated Press that Ukrainian drones targeted Russian military infrastructure in Novorossiysk and Sevastopol, hitting Black Sea Fleet vessels.
Russia’s Ministry of Defence reported downing 51 Ukrainian drones over Crimea, 44 over Russia's Krasnodar region, and six over the Belgorod region. Additionally, Russian warplanes and patrol boats destroyed six sea drones in the Black Sea. Mikhail Razvozhayev, governor of Sevastopol, stated that the drone attack caused damage to the city’s power plant.
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