KYIV ¨C Ukraine¡¯s military chief said on Sunday his country¡¯s forces were facing a difficult situation in fighting in the Kharkiv region, but that they were doing all they could to hold the line.

Russia launched a new assault from its territory into the northern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv on Friday, threatening to open a new front in the 27-month war. Moscow said on Saturday it had captured five villages, while Kyiv said it was repulsing the attacks and battling for control of the settlements.

¡°Units of the Defense Forces are fighting fierce defensive battles, the attempts of the Russian invaders to break through our defenses have been stopped,¡± Syrskyi wrote on the Telegram app.

¡°The situation is difficult, but the Defense Forces of Ukraine are doing everything to hold defensive lines and positions, inflict damage on the enemy,¡± he added.

Ukraine is currently on the defensive against Russia, which has a significant advantage in manpower and munitions.

Kyiv says several months of delays by the U.S. Congress to vote through a massive aid package have cost it on the battlefield. It now hopes significant quantities of the newly approved assistance will arrive quickly to shore up the defense effort.

¡°The enemy is conducting their actions on two fronts ... they are trying to widen the front,¡± military spokesperson Nazar Voloshyn said on Ukrainian television on Sunday.

He said the main thrusts of Russia¡¯s attack were aimed at the towns of Vovchansk and Lyptsi.

Lyptsi is about 12 miles (about 20 km) from the outskirts of Kharkiv, Ukraine¡¯s second-largest city. In 2022, Russian forces reached the city¡¯s suburbs before being driven back to the border.

Voloshyn urged residents to stay calm, saying that Russia was waging an information campaign to sow panic alongside its military assault.

¡°The population should remain calm ... the defense forces are holding (the lines), the situation is under control,¡± the spokesperson said.