The Russian army has failed to carry out its operation in Charkiv, says Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyj.
The statement comes in the president's daily evening address, which was given on Saturday after a conversation with the country's commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrskyj.
Zelenskyj describes what he calls the "Russian failure" as a significant result, and announces that the front has been strengthened, and will be strengthened further.
The president says in his speech that new agreements have been reached with allied partners on additional air defense systems.
Russia launched an offensive in Charkiv in May, which has resulted in the highest number of civilian deaths in Ukraine – 174 people – since June 2023. Civilian infrastructure has been hit in Russia's attacks.
Several towns and communities in the region have come under Russian control during the offensive – but the past few days seem to have seen a slight slowdown in the advance, an assessment confirmed by US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.
