(Reuters) – Russian forces tried to break through the border into Ukraine’s northeastern Kharkiv region with armoured vehicles on Friday and heavily shelled the area, Kyiv said, the strongest sign yet that Moscow seeks to awaken a new front in the war.
Ukraine repelled the armoured attack, but fighting in the border areas of Kharkiv region raged and Kyiv has sent more forces to the area as reinforcements, the defence ministry said in a statement.
“At approximately 5 a.m., there was an attempt by the enemy to break through our defensive line under the cover of armoured vehicles,” the ministry said. “As of now, these attacks have been repulsed; battles of varying intensity continue.”
Though Russia’s offensive is focused on the Donetsk region, Kyiv has noted a recent buildup of troops near the Kharkiv region, a regrouping that could suggest a looming attack or seek to divert and pin down Ukraine’s depleted defensive forces.
(Reporting by Yuliia Dysa; Writing by Tom Balmforth; editing by Mark Heinrich)
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