General Staff: Ukraine fights off Russian attack near Starytsia village in Kharkiv Oblast

Illustrative purposes only: Police officer Oleksii Kharkivskyi looks at smoke rising from a Russian glide bomb impact site in Vovchansk, Kharkiv Oblast, on May 11, 2024. (Francis Farrell/The Kyiv Independent)

Ukrainian troops are fighting off a Russian attack near the village of Starytsia in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine's General Staff said in its morning report on May 20.

Russia launched a new offensive on May 10 in northern Kharkiv Oblast. According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Moscow's forces had managed to advance as far as 10 kilometers (6 miles) in the region but had been halted by the first line of defense.

Russian troops have focused their efforts in the directions of Lyptsi and Vovchansk, two settlements a few kilometers south of the border. The village of Starytsia lies about 16 kilometers (10 miles) from Vovchansk.

"The situation is under control. In addition, our units have taken measures to reinforce defensive lines and positions in designated areas," the General Staff said.

Ukrainian soldiers also reportedly repelled a Russian attack in the direction of the village of Synkivka in the Kupiansk district and are conducting assaults in some areas.

The General Staff reported a decrease in Russian attacks in the Siversk sector in northeastern Donetsk Oblast but said the fighting is ongoing. Russian troops are trying to push out Ukrainian units near the village of Rozdolivka in Donetsk Oblast, according to the report.

Russia's offensive in Kharkiv Oblast in mid-May could be the first of several waves, and Russian forces may target the regional capital, Kharkiv, Zelensky said in an interview with AFP on May 17.

Ukraine's military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, suggested on May 14 that Russian forces may launch a similar offensive in Sumy Oblast when the conditions are more favorable.