Zelensky's Visit To Kharkiv Seeks To Boost Troop Morale

Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky sought to boost the morale of his troops with a visit to the northeastern city of Kharkiv with Russian forces making advances across the region.

- ASKOLD KRUSHELNYCKY

Kyiv has rushed military units from other parts of the 600-mile front lines to shore up its forces in the area where the Russians launched their attack a week ago, exploiting weak fortifications and undergunned Ukrainian forces to make rapid advances which have sent thousands of refugees fleeing from their homes.

Vladimir Putin’s forces have made inroads of at least several kilometres into the north of Kharkiv region since last Friday, with the city of Kharkiv itself only about 30 miles from the border with Russia. “The [situation] remains extremely difficult – we are strengthening our units,” Mr Zelensky said after holding a meeting in the city with his top commander and senior military leaders.

Ukraine’s immediate goal is to prevent the Russians from consolidating their gains and using the territory they have taken so far – around 50 square miles in two enclaves – as a platform to spread further into Ukraine. Although the Ukrainian military admitted that it had pulled back its forces from some areas “to preserve life” – code for a retreat – positions along the general staff said yesterday that Ukrainian lines, for the most part, had held their lines in the previous 24 hours.

But the Russians were continuing to press hard with human wave assaults backed by armoured vehicles. Some troops were using quad “dune buggy” type vehicles and motorcycles to approach more quickly and to dodge drones operated by Ukrainian soldiers behind the lines.

Vital artillery and rocket systems ammunition have dwindled to disastrously low levels because of an impasse in the US Congress that had blocked American military aid for more than six months. Weapons are on their way now, with some arriving but not yet in the numbers needed.