Fierce fighting on Russia-Ukraine border signals new front in war

Fierce fighting on Russia-Ukraine border signals new front in war

[Applause] the fire and fury of a new front in this 27mon long War involved chance in Ukraine’s Northeast a house burns as its owner sits covered in soot and shock since Friday Russia has launched an armored ground attack in the H region Ukraine fended off an invasion here 2 years ago now Moscow senses an opportunity [Music] the fighting is still taking place the Russians were pushing us harder their tank arrived and the Russian assault began our boys got surrounded Ukraine says they are holding the line of defense but they are desperately awaiting delayed military aid from Washington Moscow claims to have captured nine Villages this weekend as they appear to close in on the city of H residents watching and waiting some now flee Valentina is deaf and didn’t hear when her house came under Fire she’s now one of more than 2,500 who have been evacuated from the region as the smoke billows is Russia planning to capture H it’s doubtful they have the capacity to do so but Moscow may be using this moment to create a buffer zone because over the border from H is the Russian city of belgorod which has come under increased attacks this apartment block was struck leaving at least seven dead and 15 injured and as Rescuers got to work the damag roof collapsed covering several with rubble Moscow has blamed Ukraine calling it a barbaric attack ke is yet to comment another reason why Russia may be trying to advance in the north is to divert Ukrainian resources away from here the Battleground in the southeast in ajka Medics treat the injured from the 47th Brigade as Russian forces slowly Advance it is very hard out there on the battlefield we are coping but it is difficult we keep up the defense and that’s it as the sick wait under the dim lights Ukraine is facing a difficult situation down here in the South and further up north too where busloads of evacuees ponder the future away from their homes and wonder what next for their Nation as Russia opens a new ominous chapter the pain and sudden shifts of this ever grinding conflict kieren mie reporting well Maria adiva is a Ukrainian security analyst from H I spoke to her in the last hour and began by asking about the situation there well it’s it’s a difficult situation there so Russian troops uh are like trying to get closer to the city and I think at the current stage uh this is their number one goal uh this city it’s just on the border and it was already liberated so people who live in W Chang they already went through the occupation they know how is it to be under occupation and this is why they are rushing out because they don’t want to experience it for the second time if this happens what do you think is the wider strategy then you’ve said that Russian troops are on the border somewhere else kind of gathering do you think that it’s to create a so-called buffer zone or to eventually take har ke what do you think this is the strategy here I think they have several goals in mind uh one is in in actually what you mentioned to create this buffer zone or Gray Zone along the border uh this will allow for Russian troops if this happens to come closer to the city and have har in the artillery Ranch the other aim is to stretch the front line because obviously to hold the the the new front that just has opened Ukraine needs to redeploy more troops here from donbas uh and this means that they they will be overstretched and as you know the Ukrainian Army has not sufficient Manpower so this will be difficult I am highly I don’t believe that Russia will try to get the city itself but even if they will succeed in getting closer to the city this will create a dangerous situation for the uh far the second largest city in Ukraine you would have heard that Russia are blaming Ukraine for a strike on an apartment Block in belgrad uh what do you make of that they’ve said it’s a terrorist attack on residential areas I have uh studed the uh uh reports and ENT uh reports of the different analysts and all of them come to the conclusion that the explosion uh whichever caused it happened in the other side of the building in the side of the building that is like heading uh towards north which is not into Ukrainian side so there is a possibility that uh Russia launched this uh gliding bomb which they con conly launched towards har towards W CHS other areas and this bomb just like was misguided and hid into the building and just finally we’re 27 months in now I just wonder how you are feeling and the people of hara feeling uh with this renewed uh assault from Russia right now people generally are exhausted because of the war naturally but this new offensive from Russia give them you know it’s could be it could sound weird but this gives them the feeling of like another strength because they understand they need to be strong and resan so people understand that this is a moment when we have to be as United as strong as possible to stop Russian Advance because Russia wants to crush everything and Destroy if they succeed in like moving further Maria ad Diva thank you very much for joining us thank you thank you for having Miss

A large section of a ten storey apartment block has collapsed in the Russian city of Belgorod – killing at least seven people and injuring 17. (Subscribe: https://bit.ly/C4_News_Subscribe)

Russian officials say it was hit by a Soviet-era missile, launched by Ukraine and shot down by Russia.

Over the border, Ukraine’s military chief says his forces are doing all they can to hold the line in the Kharkiv region, where Russia has launched a major assault.

Today, Moscow said it had seized another four villages there, on top of five it announced yesterday.

By stepping up attacks towards Kharkiv, Russia could force Ukrainian troops to divert from the east to the northeast, weakening their defensive line in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which is already under huge strain after recent attacks on the cities of Avdiivka and Chasiv Yar.

A warning, you may find some of the images distressing.

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