Zelensky Meets Troops Amid Intense Kharkiv Offensive

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meets Ukrainian servicemen from the 92nd Separate Assault Brigade, some of whom are repelling a Russian offensive in the northeastern Kharkiv region.

Ukraine warned it faced a "very difficult" military situation in its northeast Kharkiv region, where Moscow has made its largest territorial gains in 18 months since launching a surprise offensive last week.

As Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv was sending yet more reinforcements to the area, the Ukrainian army said it had managed to partially halt Russia's advance.

Kyiv also accused Russian troops of executing civilians in territory it had captured over the last week.

The fresh Russian offensive has further stretched Ukraine's outgunned and outmanned forces.

Moscow has seized 278 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory between May 9 and 15, according to calculations based on data from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) -- the largest territorial gain in a single operation since mid-December 2022.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky met military leaders in Kharkiv city, some 30 kilometers from the Russian border to assess Ukraine's defensive efforts.

"The situation in the Kharkiv region is generally under control, and our soldiers are inflicting significant losses on the occupier," he said.

However, the area remains extremely difficult. We are reinforcing our units.

Ukraine's army said earlier it had managed to halt the advancing Russian forces in some places.

Ukraine also accused Russia of capturing and killing civilians in the border town of Volchansk.

Most of Russia's recent gains are in the Kharkiv area, though they have also claimed fresh territory in the eastern Donetsk and southern Zaporizhzhia regions.

Russia's defense ministry said the army had "advanced deep into the enemy's defenses" in the Kharkiv region.