Pavlyuk, who previously orchestrated the city’s defense during the initial months of Russia’s full-scale invasion, emphasized the evolved nature of the threat, noting that Russia can no longer conduct large-scale attacks across multiple fronts due to ammunition shortages.

Russian troops attacked in two directions, seizing several villages in the Liptsi district, 30km north of Kharkiv city, and reaching the outskirts of the town of Vovchansk, 40km further east, according to Deepstate,