Russian forces attack Ukraine's Kharkiv region opening new front

A senior Ukrainian military source said that Russian forces were aiming to push the Ukrainian armed forces as far back as 10 kilometers from the border

Newly constructed defensive position is seen in the field close to the Russian border in Kharkiv region, Ukraine, on Wednesday, April 17, 2024. Picture: AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka

Russian forces launched an armoured ground attack on Ukraine's northeastern Kharkiv region early on Friday, advancing 1km near the border town of Vovchansk in an effort to create a buffer zone, a senior Ukrainian military source said.

The assault opens a new front in the war more than two years since Russia's full-scale invasion. Fighting in the border areas of the Kharkiv region continued and Kyiv has sent more forces to the area as reinforcements, the defence ministry said.