Russian forces seize miles of ground in Ukraine in shock offensive near second largest city Kharkiv

RUSSIAN forces seized miles of ground in Ukraine in a shock offensive near the second largest city, Kharkiv.

Putin’s troops have made dramatic gains since launching their assault on Friday.

Ukraine sacked its military commander in charge there yesterday as officials said defences were not as tight as they should have been.

The country’s armed forces said Moscow had achieved some “tactical successes” around the north-eastern city near the Russian border over the weekend.

Russia claimed it had captured five villages

And Ukrainian soldiers said the invaders had briefly surrounded Vovchansk, a town which is three miles inside the border and was the focus of the attack.

A soldier who returned from the front said: “Our boys got surrounded.

“We helped them.

“They got out and set up a defensive line along the street, inflicting considerable losses to enemy infantry.”

Russian troops marched between two and five miles in a multipronged attack across more than 20 miles of front line.

Kharkiv’s regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said: “The enemy is trying to deliberately stretch the front line, attacking in small groups, but in new directions.”

Last night, fighting raged on the outskirts of bomb-blitzed Vovchansk and nearby Lyptsi, which sit a few miles south of the Russia-Ukraine frontier.

Both settlements were captured, with swathes of Kharkiv province, when Putin unleashed his invasion in February 2022.

But Kharkiv city never fell.

Instead, it suffered non-stop bombardments from rockets, artillery and drones.

Russian troops fled in disarray in the face of a lightning Ukrainian counter-offensive in September 2022.

But the edge of Kharkiv city is just 15 miles from the Russian border and remains in range of regular strikes.

Almost 6,000 civilians fled Vovchansk although 300 remain, local officials said yesterday.

Meanwhile, Rishi Sunak swerved claims the Foreign Secretary discussed a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine with Donald Trump if he won the US election.

Reports say Lord Cameron suggested it when he visited the presidential hopeful in Florida but No10 denied the Sunday Times story.

Tube ticket to learning

UNDERGROUND schools stayed open in Kharkiv despite Russia’s new blitz.

Thousands of kids aged six to 16 are taught in metro stations safe from Vladimir Putin’s missiles.

More than 160,000 people sheltered in the metros when Putin unleashed his invasion two years ago.

Now five have been converted with classrooms on the platforms – and some even have tiny playgrounds.