Thousands of people have been evacuated from border areas in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region as Russia continues to pound a key town in a cross-border offensive. The surprise attack began on Friday, with Russian troops making small advances in an area they had previously been pushed back from.
Kharkiv regional governor Oleg Synegubov reported that a total of 4,073 people have been evacuated, with casualties including a 63-year-old man killed by artillery fire in the village of Glyboke and a 38-year-old man wounded in Vovchansk. The border town of Vovchansk, which had around 3,000 residents before the offensive, is constantly under fire, according to senior police officer Oleksiy Kharkivsky.
Evacuation teams have faced challenges, with one person trapped under rubble dying overnight and several others killed by shelling. Despite the dangers, around 1,500 people have been evacuated or fled Vovchansk since Friday, with 32 drone strikes hitting the town in the past 24 hours.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has retaliated with a drone attack on a refinery in Russia’s Volgograd region, causing a fire at the complex. The Volgograd refinery, owned by Lukoil, is the biggest producer of oil products in southwest Russia. This attack comes as Ukraine intensifies its drone strikes in response to Russian aggression.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has emphasized the need to disrupt Russian offensive plans and return the initiative to Ukraine. As the conflict escalates, both sides are facing casualties and damage to critical infrastructure. The situation remains tense as the international community watches closely for further developments.