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Frontline fighting: Russia advancing in shock offensive north of Kharkiv | BBC News

  • May 14, 2024



Frontline fighting: Russia advancing in shock offensive north of Kharkiv | BBC News

Russia claims to have made its first breakthrough seizing territory in many months their Advance is towards the country’s Second City of har this is the map of the battlefield that we’ve become used to seeing in recent months with red marking the areas in the South and the East under Russian military control but now a new front has opened up to the Northeast near hariv these communities are used to Russia being close but not this close for 4 days bombs have rained down here and the window to leave is shrinking thousands have been forced to escape and Counting keep talking to us says this police officer to 71y Old older she was injured in an explosion and their car is now an ambulance they meet paramedics we’re told she’s in a serious condition V Chans is being mercilessly destroyed blown up by rocket propelled grenades artillery mortars and Small Arms battles are going on on the Northern outskirts of the city the newly homeless end up here in Ukraine’s Second City har people are terrified they are stressed they take they keep their uh animals with them uh so everyone is in a huge stress because of the constant Cheng and of the shock of the Russian offensive volir said he went to feed his animals when he encountered machine gun fire in all directions for now harv city is a place of relative safety but for how long while few think the Russians are capable of taking it they could soon be in AR range our task is Crystal Clear to stop Russia’s attempt to expend the war the Fulfillment of this task depends on everyone who’s on the ground missiles routinely hit harv if this offensive isn’t contained the destruction will be even greater Ukraine is struggling to hold what is a new front line James water house BBC News Kev well Jeremy and is here with me um one wonders how much of a moment this actually is this development in the course of the war undoubtedly it’s a moment CL if you you you look at the feel of those pictures the kind of things that were in that report we’ve been quite used now to months years of absolutely brutal artillery exchanges but now there’s movement and the Russians are are pushing in and the ukrainians weren’t ready clearly for this uh the commander of the area has been replaced bit too late for that perhaps and it’s not not the Russian army that tried to March down the main road into Kiev in 2022 and got destroyed in the process uh they’ve learned lessons they’ve learned how to Target their missiles and their drones to take advantage of Ukraine’s very depleted air defenses they’re good at electronic warfare and I think as well they’re learning that because of the wider problems Ukraine has had in terms of getting those Americans supplies particularly that were held up for a long time in Congress that there’s a window of opportunity now this year before that full flow of American funded military aid can come in and they seem to be taking advantage of it uh longer term they brought in a new Minister of Defense he’s an economist and that suggests that rather than trying to get him to run the war he doesn’t do that that’s for the generals his job will be to get that war economy firing even more effectively than it is at the moment and Ukraine is not fully mobilized in the way that that Russia is so this is pointing to a long War certainly but it’s also pointing to an immediate emergency this summer if the Russians keep on pushing it’s a bit too early to say it’s only been a few days but if they continue to push towards the big city if they get into artillery range of hake as uh James was saying in that piece then strategic well certainly be a big tactical Victory and possibly the chance of strategic changes on the battlefield okay Jeremy thank you Jeremy boner International editor there

Russian forces have been gaining ground in their most significant advance in Ukraine for many months.

Troops crossed the border from Russia, north of Ukraine’s second city of Kharkiv, seizing territory in a surprise new offensive.

It follows months of largely static fighting over defensive positions in the east and south of Ukraine, where Russia has held territory occupied since its invasion in 2022.

Ukrainian forces appear to have been caught by surprise by the opening of the new front north of Kharkiv. Thousands of civilians are fleeing the area. The Russian advance could directly threaten Kharkiv if its forces reach artillery range of the city.

Clive Myrie presents BBC News at Ten reporting by James Waterhouse and Jeremy Bowen.

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49 comments

  18. didn’t withdraw, but some military units surrendered, Zelensky’s video with the super defense at Khartkov turned out to be money laundering. They stole a billion dollars allocated by the proud sponsors of the war.. The Russians are willing to change like this.. they say thank you for the Sea of Azov..

  20. Why doesn't you guys visit Africa to see and report the corruption atrocities of the African leaders??? This is nothing in Ucrânia comparing what's really happening during years in Africa. Millions of people dying every day by hungry and thirst.

  23. This is what western countries have already prepared to happen in Ukraine. They have not shame themselves. The last 25 years have they been involved with war, destruction of stable countries.

  25. BBC obviously is sympathetic to Ukrainians. Having encouraged negotiations early in the war instead of non-stop demonization of Russians, as BBC still is doing, would have been more helpful.

  36. Calling UK open, honnest, democratic and example for the world is like Biden running up and down the stairs for 10 times of an airplane in a record time without falling. And like tony Blair holding up the WOMD in front of a camera, just coming back of his big find in Iraq. Or like the government trying to give back the Falklands and Gibraltar, but that those Silly Spanish eating paelja dudes refusig it the whole time 🙂

    OR like Britain did the Rothchild deal creating Zionistic Israël ( and this = true) the cause of all disruption of modern times even Ukrain can be tied up on it

  43. Here in the UK, in my town , Latin dance classes are full of Ukrainian women fooling around with local men while their boyfriends and husbands are dying fighting CIAs war in Ukraine . Patriarchy . Right ? Why women & T people not fighting the war ?

  45. From October 2023 there has been US satellite imagery of a massive build-up of troops mechanised units, tanks, artillery, rockets missiles and aircraft on the Russian-Ukraine border that have never been fully deployed even now.
    However, the Ukrainians have supposedly been digging in awaiting the Russian offensive to fortify the area. The Russians achieved in 4 days with four battalions, which took Ukraine 3-4 months to achieve with a NATO-trained battle core. According to Ukrainian soldiers the Russians simply "walked in"
    The Russians are now within 20 KM of Kharkiv well within their artillery range should they decide to deploy it. But the operation would appear to be a recon in force that established two bridgeheads forcing the Ukrainians to respond by withdrawing forces from other fronts leaving them more vulnerable. However, if this current operation proves that the Ukrainians cannot stop such a limited offensive it may well develop into something much more substantial.

  49. How much people are scared see the people of GAZA how strongly they are facing terrorist army bombardment. Really they are great people May God bless every people whose life is in danger from terrorism.

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