Ukraine troops pull back in Kharkiv after Russia offensive

His press secretary, Sergiy Nykyforov, said the president had “instructed that all international events scheduled for the coming days be postponed and new dates coordinated”.

A spokesman for the military said in a statement that the decision to move troops from the Lukyantsi and Vovchansk areas was taken to “preserve the lives of our servicemen and avoid losses”.

They said the situation “remains difficult” but insisted that its forces were “not allowing the Russian occupiers to gain a foothold”.

Ukraine’s head of intelligence, Kyrylo Budanov, had earlier said troops had stabilised the front line.

Thousands of civilians have fled west in recent days towards Ukraine’s second-largest city of Kharkiv – including from the town of Vovchansk, located 74km (45 miles) away.

Oleksiy Kharkivskiy, Vovchansk’s police chief, said on social media that fighting was intense and Russian forces were establishing positions inside the town.

“The situation is extremely difficult. The enemy is taking positions on the streets of the town of Vovchansk,” he said.

The capture of the town, though not of specific militarily significance, would represent a blow to Ukrainian morale.

Kyiv has sent reinforcements to the wider Kharkiv region following Friday’s incursion – seen as one of Russia’s most significant ground attacks since it launched its full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022.

It comes as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is on a visit to Kyiv – the first senior US official to travel to Ukraine since Congress passed a $61bn aid package last month.

Away from Kharkiv, Russia said earlier it had temporarily closed two major airports in the south-western region of Kazan after targeted Ukrainian drone attacks. Ukraine has not commented on the strike.