Russian forces attacking Ukraine¡¯s northeastern Kharkiv region reached the outskirts of the border town of Vovchansk, Kyiv¡¯s troops said on Sunday, as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described heavy fighting there and in the east.

Moscow troops smashed into the Kharkiv region on Friday, opening a northeastern front in the 27-month war that has long been waged in the south and east. Kharkiv, Ukraine¡¯s second largest city, is 30 kilometers (18 miles) from the Russian border.

Soldiers returning from a combat mission in the area said the fighting had reached the edges of Vovchansk, a town around 4 km from the border and 45 km from the city of Kharkiv, describing helping some troops break out of Russian encirclement.