Updated: Civilian casualties reported amid intense Russian attacks in Kharkiv Oblast
Editor's note: The article was updated at 10 p.m. local time, May 10, with updated information from the Prosecutor General's Office.
Intense Russian attacks in the north of Kharkiv Oblast, which forms part of the Ukraine-Russia border, have killed three civilians and injured four others, the Prosecutor General's Office reported on May 10.
The Defense Ministry reported earlier on May 10 that Russian forces had attempted a breakthrough of Ukraine's line of defense in Kharkiv Oblast at 5 a.m. local time, with "battles of varying intensity" continuing.
"The border communities of Kharkiv Oblast are under increased massive enemy shelling," Governor Oleh Syniehubov reported at around 3 p.m. local time.
The attack killed two civilians – a man and a woman – in Vovchansk, a town situated 50 kilometers (35 miles) northeast of Kharkiv and just 5 kilometers (3 miles) from the border with Russia. Vovchansk was under Russian occupation from February to September 2022.
The strike against Vovchansk further injured three men and a 63-year-old woman, the prosecutors said at around 8 p.m. local time.
A 55-year-old man was killed at around 12:50 p.m. local time in Cherkaski Tyshky, a village located just outside of Kharkiv, around 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the Russian border, Syniehubov said.
Moscow recently intensified attacks against Kharkiv and the surrounding region amid reports that Russia might plan to attack Kharkiv as part of a wider offensive.
Syniehubov said on May 8 that Russia is forming a grouping of forces north of the city of Kharkiv and that the authorities are "closely monitoring" the situation.
The governor reported earlier on May 10 that the attack "does not pose a threat to Kharkiv," and Russia has gathered enough forces only for "provocations in the northern direction."
Read also: Defense Ministry: Russian forces attempt breakthrough in Kharkiv Oblast
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