UKRAINE, KHARKIV OBLAST, Dec 4 – During November and early December, Russian sabotage groups became more active in the border area of the Derhachi community, Kharkiv region, trying to get across the Ukrainian state border in small groups, said Oleksandr Kulik, head of the information department of the Derhachi City Council, to Gwara Media.

Russia started its new offensive north and northeast in the Kharkiv region in May, but Ukrainian troops have stabilized the frontline in this section since. Now, heavy battles are ongoing in and around Vovchansk (three miles from the border, 46 miles away from Kharkiv) and near Lyptsi (six miles from the border, 12 miles from Kharkiv.)

Oleksandr Kulik said that these Russian attempts do not indicate a threat of an offensive in the Derhachi district, as the Ukrainian military repels small Russian groups and controls the situation.

“For now, at least in the border area near the territory of Belgorod region (Russia), there is no accumulation of Russian troops in the amount sufficient for a repeated offensive,” Kulik said.

On the night of November 24-25, a small Russian sabotage group tried to break through the border in the area of the Hoptivka-Niekhotieievka checkpoint and was stopped by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

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