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sl8

(14,366 posts)
Sat May 18, 2024, 07:02 AM May 18

Zelenskyy warns Russia's Kharkiv offensive may only be 'first wave' (updated)

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/5/18/zelenskyy-warns-russias-kharkiv-offensive-may-only-be-first-wave?traffic_source=rss

Zelenskyy warns Russia’s Kharkiv offensive may only be ‘first wave’

New laws overhauling army mobilisation rules in Ukraine take effect in effort to address acute troop shortages.

Published On 18 May 2024
18 May 2024
Updated: a minute ago

Russia’s offensive in Ukraine’s northeastern border region of Kharkiv may just be the “first wave” in a wider assault, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned as he appealed to allies to send more air defence and fighter jets.

Russian forces, which had made only moderate advances in recent months, launched a surprise assault in the Kharkiv region on May 10 that resulted in their biggest territorial gains in a year and a half.

Zelenskyy conceded on Friday, in an interview with the AFP news agency, that Ukraine only has a quarter of the air defences it needs to hold the front line while the war grinds on.

He said Russian forces managed to advance between five to 10km (3-6 miles) along the northeastern border before being stopped by Ukrainian forces.

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https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/may/18/volodymyr-zelenskiy-expects-russian-offensive-in-northeast-ukraine-to-intensify

Zelenskiy says situation in Kharkiv under control but he fears second Russian attack

Ukraine’s president says air defences must quadruple to halt Russian advance as morale falls among troops

Agence France-Presse in Kyiv
Sat 18 May 2024 06.08 EDT

The Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has said he expects Russia to step up its offensive in the north-east and warned Kyiv has only a quarter of the air defences it needs to hold the front line.

Russian forces, which had made only moderate advances in recent months, launched a surprise assault in Kharkiv region on 10 May that has resulted in their biggest territorial gains in a year-and-a-half.

Zelenskiy said Russian troops advanced between five to 10km (3-6 miles) along the north-eastern border before being stopped by Ukrainian forces, but added that fighting in the region could be the “first wave” in a wider offensive.

“I won’t say it’s a great success [for Russia] but we have to be sober and understand that they are going deeper into our territory,” he said, speaking to Agence-France Presse from Kyiv in his first interview with foreign media since the offensive began.

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