Ukraine’s Zelenskyy cancels all foreign trips as Russia offensive mounts in Kharkiv

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has postponed all international trips as Russia continues its onslaught in Kharkiv.

According to his office, Mr Zelenskyy ordered “all international events scheduled for the coming days be postponed and new dates coordinated”

This comes as Russia began deploying troops to the Kharkiv region on Friday, following weeks of rumors that an invasion was imminent.

Almost 8,000 local people were forced to evacuate their homes following a round of shelling and a breaching of the border from Russian infantry.

The bulk of the combat in the conflict has occurred along Ukraine’s eastern border, but as of late, Ukraine has learned that Russia is amassing thousands of troops in the country’s northeastern frontier, near the regions of Kharkiv and Sumy.

Russia is unlikely to take control of Kharkiv, the second-biggest city in Ukraine, but its advance has forced Ukraine to deploy additional troops there, increasing the risk of attack in other locations.

There’s a good chance that forcing the evacuation of residents by Ukrainian authorities will cause chaos and divert resources.

Seven months after Russia’s full-scale invasion, the Ukrainian army recaptured the area in the fall of 2022 when it drove the Kremlin’s forces out of Kharkiv.