Ukrainian defenders liberate 23 settlements in Kharkiv region

The Ukrainian General Staff shared the update on their Facebook.

"From May 5, 23 settlements in the Kharkiv region were liberated from the Russian occupation. Russia is trying to prevent the advance of our troops. Russia doesn't stop shelling the Chernihiv and Sumy regions to divert Ukrainian forces from the main directions," said Oleksiy Gromov.

The Russian army's main goal remains access to Donetsk and Luhansk region administrative borders. Fierce fighting continued in Severodonetsk, Lyman, Bakhmut, Kurakhiv and Avdiyivka directions. Russia is using the aircraft in the Donetsk region trying to attack across the contact line.

The probability of an attack in other areas remains, but such active actions exhaust the Russian forces, says the brigadier general.

"The threat of missile attacks from the Russian Navy in the Black and Azov Seas on the territory of Ukraine remains. The Russian ships block civilian shipping. In order to simulate the threat of landing amphibious, Russia consistently conducts provocative actions," said Deputy Chief of General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.