Five villages ‘captured’ in air barrage

Russia’s claim comes as Ukrainians flee

Moscow’s forces captured five villages in a renewed ground assault in northeastern Ukraine, the Russian Defence Ministry said yesterday, and AP journalists in the city of Vovchansk described multiple buildings destroyed after Russian airstrikes and barrages of Grad rockets.

Ukrainian officials didn’t confirm whether Russians had taken the villages, which lie in a contested “grey zone” on the border of Ukraine’s Kharkiv region and Russia.

Ukrainian journalists reported that the villages of Borysivka, Ohirtseve, Pylna and Strilecha were taken by Russian troops on Saturday. Russia said the village of Pletenivka was also taken.

In a statement yesterday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said fighting was ongoing in the settlements of Strilecha and Pletenivka, as well as Krasne, Morokhovets, Oliinykove, Lukyantsi and Hatyshche.

“Our troops are carrying out counter-attacks there for a second day, protecting Ukrainian territory,” he said.

The Institute for the Study of War said on Saturday that geolocated footage confirmed at least one of the villages was seized. The Washingtonbased think-tank described recent Russian gains as “tactically significant”.

The renewed assault on the region has forced more than 1700 civilians residing in settlements near the fighting to flee, according to Ukrainian authorities. It comes after Russia stepped up attacks in March targeting energy infrastructure and settlements, which analysts predicted were a concerted effort by Moscow to shape conditions for an offensive.

Yesterday, Russia continued to pummel Vovchansk with airstrikes and Grad rockets as police and volunteers raced to evacuate residents. At least 20 people were evacuated to safety in a nearby village. Police said that 900 people had been evacuated the previous day.

AP journalists who accompanied an evacuation team described empty streets with multiple buildings destroyed and others on fire.

The road was littered with newly made craters and the city was covered in dust and shrapnel with the smell of gunpowder heavy in the air.

Mushroom clouds of smoke rose across the skyline as Russian jets conducted multiple airstrikes.

The AP journalists witnessed nine air attacks during the three hours they were there.

“The situation in Vovchansk and the settlements along the border (with Russia) is incredibly difficult. Constant aviation strikes are carried out, multiple rocket missile systems strikes, artillery strikes,” said Tamaz Hambarashvili, the head of the Vovchansk military administration.

“For the second day in a row, we evacuated all the inhabitants of our community who are willing to evacuate,” he said.

“I think that they are destroying the city to make (local) people leave, to make sure there are no militaries, nobody. To create a ‘grey zone’.”

Evacuees bade tearful goodbyes to their neighbours as they were taken away from their homes.

“You lie down and think — whether they will kill you now, or in an hour, or in three,” said resident Valentyna Hrevnova, 75.

“I hope that they (Russians) will not come, but ours (Ukrainians) will be here.”

Vera Rudko, 72, was among those who left.

“We drove through Vovchansk in the city centre,” Rudko said.

“I can’t look at this without tears. Everything is trembling. We didn’t sleep these two nights at all.”