"The enemy occupied Lukyantsi," reads a message published on social media by DeepState, which has been publishing since Friday information about the conquest of several locations by Russian forces in the border area.

At the end of last week, Russia projected a new front by attacking the Ukrainian border province of Kharkov.

Lukyantsi is located in one of the two northern areas of the Kharkov region.

According to the Ukrainian General Staff, Kyiv troops repelled a total of 13 Russian attacks in northern Kharkov in the past 24 hours.

On the other hand, DeepState reported Russian advances near Vovchansk (about 40 kilometers east of Lukyantsi and the main Russian target north of Kharkov) and in other areas of the front line, mainly in the eastern province of Donetsk.

So far, Moscow has not commented on the latest information released by Kyiv. 

Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky said that the Russian offensive actions in northern Kharkov aim to force Ukrainian troops to disperse, thus neglecting other areas along the front lines.

Meanwhile, the Institute for the Study of War, in Washington, states in the daily report that the priority of Russian forces in northern Kharkov is not to advance further, but rather to "create a buffer zone" to keep the Ukrainian army away from the Russian border area of Belgorod, in order to reduce attacks in this area of the territory.

The attack by Russian forces on the Kharkov region has already led to the dismissal of the Ukrainian military commander in the area, which analysts interpret as proof that Ukraine has failed to defend the territory.

Zelensky stressed in a speech on Monday night that the new military commander in the area, Brigadier General Mikhail Drapati, is working "on the ground" having received "sufficient forces and ammunition".

"We are getting better and better results, destroying the infantry and equipment of the occupier," said Zelensky.

The Ukrainian response to the Russian cross-border attack in the Kharkov region was criticized in Ukraine, since the fortifications necessary for such a situation did not exist in the area located near the territory of Russia.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and Ukrainian Army Chief Oleksandr Sirski informed, in the last hours, the person in charge of European affairs of the United States National Security Council, Michael Carpenter, about the situation on the front line.

Umerov and Sirski also participated on Monday in a virtual meeting with White House Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, to whom they explained the evolution of the situation along the lines in the Kharkov region. 

"We had a discussion about the situation on the front line, about the Russian offensive actions and about the aid that Ukraine needs," wrote the head of the Ukrainian presidential cabinet, Andri Yermak, who also participated in the meeting.

Yermak added that Ukraine's need to receive weapons from the United States was also discussed "in detail".

These meetings coincide with the arrival in Kyiv of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is traveling to Ukraine today to convey Washington's "lasting support" to the country.

Also Read: Blinken makes surprise visit to Ukraine to reiterate US support (Portuguese version)