On May 10, the Russian army launched an offensive in the Kharkiv region from the border, seizing several localities and forcing Ukraine to deploy reinforcements to the area.

After two weeks of fighting, "Ukrainian defense forces have stopped the Russian troops" and "are conducting counteroffensive actions," said Colonel Igor Prokhorenko, head of the Ukrainian General Staff, today.

The military officer described the situation as "difficult" but "stable and under control" in this region, where fighting is taking place, in particular, for control of the town of Vovchansk, which is partially occupied by Russian forces.

"The enemy is completely bogged down in street fighting in Vovchansk and has suffered very significant losses," said General Oleksandr Syrsky, commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army, today, stating that Moscow is sending "reserves" to continue the assault.

According to Kyiv, Russia intends to force a breakthrough in the Ukrainian forces' defensive lines, which have been weakened by two years of war, the lack of new recruits, and a shortage of weapons due to months of Western hesitation.

Around 11,000 civilians have already abandoned their homes in this region since May 10, said Governor Oleg Synegubov.

President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he is in Kharkiv today, in particular for meetings on the "defense of the region, especially in Vovchansk."

"The city and the entire Kharkiv region deserve all our support, our gratitude, and our respect," he said on social media.

In a reference to other sectors of the front, General Syrsky admitted a more complex situation.

To the south of the Kharkiv region, the Russians have been on the offensive in Kupiansk for a year with "a complicated situation in the Kyslivka sector, where the enemy is trying to break through our defenses and reach the Oskil River."

In the Donbas, the military officer referred to "fierce fighting" in the direction of Chasiv Yar, Pokrovsk, and Kurakhove, where the Russians have been advancing on the ground for months, but without significant gains at the moment.

"The most intense and violent fighting is taking place in the Pokrovsk and Kurakhove sectors. The enemy is trying to cross our troops' defenses in a narrow section of the front between Staromykhailivka and Berdychi," he said.

Russia claims to have launched its offensive in May in northeastern Ukraine to establish a buffer zone to prevent Ukrainian attacks on Russian territory.

Russian advances in recent days near Chasiv Yar seem to have multiplied since the May 10 offensive. Moscow has claimed the conquest of two towns on the outskirts that Ukraine had recovered at great cost last summer.

The Kremlin is trying to take advantage of the weakening of the opposing army due to significant casualties and months of paralysis in US military aid.

At the same time, Ukraine is experiencing a shortage of anti-aircraft defense systems and has asked Europeans and Americans for the weapons supplied to be used to attack Russian territory, but the West continues to refuse for fear of escalation.

Faced with this impasse, Russian forces continue to bombard Kharkiv, the country's second-largest city. On Thursday, 15 missiles were fired, killing seven civilians.

A new bombardment early this morning damaged the regional rail infrastructure, which is vital for the economy and internal travel in a country that has been without air connections for over two years.

Ukraine is also continuing to bomb the occupied areas in the east and Crimea, which was annexed in 2014. The local Russian governor, Sergei Aksyonov, said that two civilians were killed in the Simferopol district, the capital of this peninsula.

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