Ukraine sees ‘rapid tendency’ toward stabilization on Kharkiv front

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - Kyiv claimed on Tuesday that there is a “rapid tendency” toward stabilization on the front line between Ukrainian and Russian forces in the northeastern Kharkiv region.

“As of yesterday evening, in my opinion, a rapid tendency towards stabilization has emerged,” Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukraine’s Defense Intelligence, said on the country’s national telethon United News.

Expressing that it would be wrong to say Russia achieved “significant success” during its cross-border offensive in the Kharkiv region, Budanov said it should be remembered that the situation is tense and changes very quickly.

Budanov further said that Russian troops have been blocked at the border areas, indicating that Ukrainian troops continue to stabilize the situation and start to push Russian forces out of the country.

He also claimed that Russia planned a similar operation in the northeastern Sumy region, where he said small groups of Russian troops are located.

“The Russians actually planned a similar operation in this region from the very beginning. As of now, they are holding small groups of forces in the border town of Sudzha on the side of the Russian Federation, but the situation has not yet allowed them to take active actions and start implementing their plan,” he said.

He went on to say that the current situation is “not catastrophic” for the Ukrainian side.

Last Friday, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said Russian forces attempted to break through the country’s defenses in the Kharkiv region, opening a new front in the over two-year-long conflict that is focused in the country’s east and south.

Since then, Russia claimed to have taken control of multiple border settlements in the region, particularly near the city of Vovchansk, located about 74 kilometers (45 miles) from Ukraine’s second-largest city Kharkiv.