Russia’s defense ministry says its forces have taken control of another village in the eastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv.
Saturday’s announcement brings the number of villages in the region under Russia’s control to 13. The ministry earlier said they had seized 12 villages during the week through Friday.
Russian forces have been intensifying their offensive in the northern Kharkiv region since crossing the border earlier this month.
About 10,000 people in Kharkiv are said to have fled from communities bordering Russia.
The governor of Kharkiv says Russian attacks on a residential district in the region on Saturday injured five people, including children.
In an interview with the AFP news agency on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the recent rounds of Russian attacks on Kharkiv “the first wave.”
During the interview, Zelenskyy rejected a call by French President Emmanuel Macron for a truce with Russia during the Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
He said Russia would use any suspension of hostilities to further its military advantage. He asked, who can guarantee that Russia will not use the pause to send more forces into Ukraine. Zelenskyy said his country opposes any truce that plays into the hands of the enemy.