Ukraine sends reinforcements to help defend border areas of the Kharkiv region from Russian attacks

Ukraine sent reserve units to the border areas of the northeastern region of Kharkiv, the country’s Defense Ministry said on Friday, seeking to shore up its defenses against intensifying Russian attacks.

The ministry said in a Google-translated post via Telegram that Russian forces sought to break through Ukraine’s defense line in Kharkiv at approximately 5 a.m. local time, but were beaten back.

Oleh Syniehubov, head of Ukraine’s Kharkiv region, said in a Google-translated post on Telegram that “the armed forces of Ukraine confidently hold their positions” and “not a single meter has been lost.”

In a separate post, Syniehubov said two people were injured and three residential houses were set ablaze as a result of a Russian attack on Kharkiv in the early hours of Friday.

Russian attacks in eastern Ukraine have intensified in recent weeks, which analysts say likely reflects the Kremlin’s intent to secure tactical gains before the arrival of Western military aid to the front lines.

Ukraine attacked an oil refinery in Russia’s Kaluga region in the early hours of Friday, setting the facility on fire, according to Russian media reports.

Several explosions were heard in the Dzerzhinsky district of the Kaluga region, which borders the broader Moscow region, The Moscow Times reported, citing Russian Telegram channel SHOT. CNBC could not independently verify the reports.

Vladislav Shapsha, governor of the Kaluga region, said in a Google-translated post via Telegram that the fire was promptly extinguished, and the extent of the damage was still being assessed. He did not say at what facility the incident took place.