Russian forces have begun "destroying" the Ukrainian town of Vovchansk, and all but 200 of the town's residents have fled the attack, the region's governor said on May 17.
Moscow launched a surprise ground attack on northeastern Ukraine last Sunday, advancing on several settlements, including Vovchansk, just five kilometers from the border.
"The enemy has started destroying the city. It's not only dangerous to be there, it's impossible," Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleg Sinegubov said at the briefing.
He said that Russian forces were trying to surround the city, which before the war had about 18.000 inhabitants, and that Ukrainian forces were "resisting".
Army chief Oleksandr Sirsky said Russia had expanded its "combat zone" by 70 kilometers and was trying to force Ukraine to withdraw troops from its reserves.
"We understand that we are facing tough battles and that the enemy is preparing for it," he said.
Ukraine has evacuated nearly 9.000 people in the week since Russian forces crossed the border on May 10, firing heavy artillery fire at several villages.
A Ukrainian police official accused Russian troops on Thursday of capturing dozens of civilians in Vovchansk and using them as "human shields" to defend their command headquarters.
AFP could not immediately confirm the claim.
Russian soldiers have previously been accused of executing civilians in parts of Ukraine they have captured and controlled since the February 2022 invasion.
In April 2022, the bodies of dozens of civilians, some with their hands tied, were found in the Kyiv suburb of Buch after months of occupation by Russian forces.
Putin on the recent attacks on Kharkiv
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on May 17 that Russian forces advancing in Ukraine's Kharkiv region were creating a "buffer zone" to protect Russia's border regions, but said capturing the city of Kharkiv was not part of Russia's current plan.
Putin told a press conference during his state visit to China that Russia's recent attack on the Kharkiv region was a response to Ukrainian shelling of Russian border regions such as Belgorod.
"Civilians are dying there. It's obvious. They shoot directly at the city center, at residential areas. And I publicly said that if this continues, we will be forced to create a safety zone, a buffer zone. That's what we're doing," Putin said.
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