Russia mounts surprise assault on northern Ukraine in most serious cross-border offensive in two years

Russian forces have made two cross border assaults inside northern Ukraine, according to information from Ukrainian sources and officials – in what President Volodymyr Zelensky is calling a ‘new wave of counteroffensive actions” by Russia.

Russian forces have made two cross-border assaults inside northern Ukraine, according to information from Ukrainian sources and officials, in what President Volodymyr Zelensky is calling a “new wave of counteroffensive actions” by Russia. In the first development, Russian soldiers penetrated at least one kilometer towards the town of Vovchansk, a Ukrainian military source told CNN. The aim, the source said, “was to get 10 km deep and create a buffer zone at the border to secure Russian territory from feeling the war.” In an official statement, Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said Russian soldiers supported by armored vehicles had moved across the border at about 5:00am Friday, following a day of stepped-up attacks on the border area with guided aerial bombs and artillery. The statement added that Ukrainian reserve units had been deployed to strengthen defenses in the area. A second Ukrainian source with direct knowledge of frontline developments told CNN that Russian forces had also penetrated five kilometers inside Ukraine towards the village of Krasne, which lies about 75 km along the border, west of Vovchansk. The source said the Russian ground assault towards Krasne was carried out by four Russian battalions - about 2,000 men.