INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Hundreds of people were evacuated from areas near the Russian border in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, the regional governor said Saturday, a
day after Moscow launched a surprise ground offensive.Russian forces made small advances in the area it was pushed back from nearly two
years ago, the latest in a series of gains as Ukrainian forces find themselves outgunned and outmanned."A total of 1,775 people have been
evacuated," Kharkiv Governor Oleh Syniehubov wrote on social media.He reported Russian artillery and mortar attacks on 30 settlements over
the past 24 hours.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said a "fierce battle" was under way in Kharkiv."We must disrupt Russian offensive
operations and return the initiative to Ukraine," Zelensky said on Saturday.The Kharkiv region has been mostly under Ukrainian control since
September 2022.A senior Ukrainian military source said Russian forces had advanced one kilometer into Ukraine and were trying to "create a
buffer zone" in the Kharkiv and neighboring Sumy regions to prevent attacks on Russian territory.Ukrainian forces have multiplied attacks
inside Russia and Russian-held areas of Ukraine, particularly on energy infrastructure.On Saturday, Moscow-installed authorities in the
Russian-occupied Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine said three people were killed by a Ukrainian strike with United States -made missiles on
an oil depot.Governor Leonid Pasechnik said the strike "enveloped the oil depot in fire and damaged surrounding homes.""The death toll has
risen to three and eight more people are in hospital," he said on social media.Officials in Kyiv had warned for weeks that Moscow might try
to attack its northeastern border regions, pressing its advantage as Ukraine struggles with delays in Western aid and manpower
shortages.Ukraine's military said it had deployed more troops and Zelensky said Ukrainian forces were using artillery and drones to thwart
the Russian advance."Reserve units have been deployed to strengthen the defense in this area of the front," it said.The United States -based
Institute for the Study of War said on Friday that Russia had made "tactically significant gains."But the main aim of the operation was
"drawing Ukrainian manpower and materiel from other critical sectors of the front in eastern Ukraine," it said.ISW said it did not appear to
announced a new $400 million military aid package for Kyiv hours after the offensive began, and said it was confident Ukraine could repel
any fresh Russian campaign.
