Symbol caption, Army paramedics deal with a wounded Ukrainian provider member, amid Russia’s assault on Ukraine, close to the city of VovchanskArticle informationAuthor, Doug FaulknerRole, BBC News13 Might 2024, 11:00 BSTUpdated quarter-hour agoRussia is claiming its forces have entered the north-eastern border the city of Vovchansk, close to Ukraine’s 2d biggest town Kharkiv.Ukraine says there may be nonetheless heavy preventing going down there.Russia has intensified its assaults at the area following Friday’s marvel incursions around the border, seizing a minimum of 9 villages and settlements in one of the vital important flooring assaults since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.1000’s of civilians have fled in opposition to Kharkiv, and there are considerations amongst Ukrainian commanders about what may occur if Russian forces get inside artillery vary of town.Ukraine’s military has stated that Russia has deployed “important forces” – as much as 5 battalions – in its newest offensive, acknowledging it had had “tactical good fortune”.However in a commentary, the military claimed that Russia had misplaced greater than 100 troops in an afternoon, including that it was once taking steps to repel advancing forces. Vovchansk, situated 74km (45 miles) from Kharkiv, has been closely bombed in fresh days and officers within the surrounding area say Moscow is now focused on settlements with float bombs.Kharkiv regional head Oleh Syniehubov stated Russia was once intentionally seeking to stretch the entrance line via attacking in small teams in new instructions.He instructed native tv that Ukrainian forces had been protecting Russian troops again however warned that preventing may unfold to new settlements, in keeping with Reuters.Just about 6,000 other folks were evacuated within the area, he stated, including that 30 settlements were struck via mortar or artillery shelling.Whilst it’s idea this Russian cross-border incursion continues to be not likely so to take Kharkiv, their slow manner in this new, north-eastern entrance line most effective will increase the nervousness for the ones residing there. Kostyantyn Tymchenko, who lives in Vovchansk, is amongst the ones leaving the city for the relative protection of Kharkiv and stated he was once stunned via how shut the preventing was once.”Part a kilometre away, there may be already preventing, automated guns,” he stated. “At the one aspect [of the Vovcha River] are [Russians], at the different – ours. “Tanks are repeatedly drawing near, capturing again after which leaving. I assumed it could be k. I used to be stunned. I want I had recognized upfront.”Clear of Kharkiv, two other folks had been killed via shelling within the Russian-controlled town of Donetsk in japanese Ukraine, the Russian-installed mayor has claimed. Ukraine has now not commented in this incident. Russia additionally stated it had shot down 31 Ukrainian drones over a number of areas in annexed-Crimea. It comes after Russian officers stated a minimum of 15 had been killed when a bit of an condo block fell within the Russian border town of Belgorod when it was once struck via fragments of a Ukrainian missile which were shot down.A Ukrainian safety supply stated Ukrainian forces had struck an oil terminal and electric substation in western Russia.