Col Gen Oleksandr Syrskyi denied the Russians had made a significant breakthrough but said his forces were on the back foot. "[We] are fighting fierce defensive battles, the attempts of the Russian invaders to break through our defences have been stopped," he wrote on Telegram.
Ukrainian forces are on the defensive amid shortages of manpower and weapons, and delays in western funding. Analysts have warned of an impending Russian offensive for weeks and the first moves came on Friday with a push around Kharkiv.
"The situation is difficult, but the defence forces of Ukraine are doing everything to hold defensive lines and positions, and inflict damage on the enemy," added Syrskyi, who was appointed as the army commander in February.
The Institute for the Study of War, a US thinktank, said on Saturday that previous Russian claims to have captured four villages appeared to be accurate and described the recent gains as "tactically significant". Yesterday Russia claimed to have taken control of another five villages.
The foreign secretary, David Cameron, told Sky News that the Russian assault marked an "extremely dangerous" moment in the war.
The Russian offensive may require Ukraine to reposition troops to the northern front just as Russian forces are also attacking in the south and east of the country.
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