Russian offensive forces thousands to evacuate in Ukraine's Kharkiv

Russia has said it had captured four more villages in Ukraine's Kharkiv region, as thousands of residents were evacuated from the offensive in an area where Russian troops were repelled in 2022.

On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that "fierce fighting" was underway, while governor Oleg Synegubov said "all areas" of the regional border with Russia were now "under enemy fire almost around the clock"

In the last few days, nearly 6,000 residents in and around Vovchansk have been evacuated, according to Synegubov.

Zelenskyy called the situation in Vovchansk "extremely difficult".

"There are villages that have turned from a 'grey zone' into a combat zone, and the occupier is trying to gain a foothold in some of them, or simply use them for further advancement," Zelenskyy said.

Across the border in the Russian city of Belgorod, emergency services said 15 people were killed when a residential building was hit by a Ukrainian missile after it was intercepted by air defences.

In Ukraine, local prosecutors said four civilians had been killed in the Kharkiv region in the Russian ground offensive, which was launched on Friday.

The Ukrainian army's top commander said that although the situation was "complicated", his forces were managing to hold back further Russian advances.

But Russia's defence ministry said its forces had "advanced deeply into the enemy defences", a day after claiming the capture of five villages in Kharkiv region.

'Constantly under fire'

Russia's defence ministry said its forces had "advanced deeply into the enemy defences", a day after claiming the capture of five villages in Kharkiv region.

Meanwhile, in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin moved to replace Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, in what would be a major shake-up of the military leadership.

Speaking at an evacuation point near Vovchansk, Oleksiy Kharkivsky, a senior police officer helping to coordinate evacuations, said the area was "constantly under fire".

"Everything in the city is being destroyed. You hear constant explosions, artillery, and mortars. The enemy is hitting the city with everything they have," he said.

Officials estimated there were still around 500 civilians left in Vovchansk as Russian troops closed in.

On Saturday, AFP saw groups of people fleeing the border area arriving in vans and cars loaded with bags at a reception centre for evacuees near Kharkiv.

Evacuees, most of them elderly, received food and medical assistance.