Russian forces on the offensive in northeast, say Ukraine officials

Large contingents of Russian forces are on the offensive in northeastern Ukraine’s Kupiansk sector and engaged in heavy fighting, Ukrainian officials said on
Monday.
Ukraine’s military launched a counteroffensive in the east and south several weeks ago. But officials have pointed to an intensification of Russian activity near Kupiansk and nearby Lyman, towns in the northeast retaken by Ukraine late last year.
They said large groups of Russian personnel were now trying to break through Ukrainian defence lines in the area.
“For two days running, the enemy has been actively on the offensive in the Kupiansk sector in Kharkiv region,” Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar wrote on Telegram.
“We are defending. Heavy fighting is going on and the positions of both sides change dynamically several times a day.”
Serhiy Cherevatyi, spokesperson for Ukraine’s eastern grouping of troops, said the Russian military had amassed more than 100,000 troops and more than 900 tanks in the area.