UKRAINE has ordered the evacuation of almost 12,000 civilians from 37 towns and villages in the Kharkiv region as Russian troops attempt to break through its forces’ lines.

The local military administration in the Kupiansk district said residents must leave or sign a document saying that they are staying on at their own risk. Ukrainian Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Maliar said that the “intensity of combat and enemy shelling is high” in the area.

“Given the difficult security situation and the increasing amount of shelling by Russian terrorist forces in Kupiansk community, you have the opportunity to evacuate to a safer place,” the administration warned. “Do not neglect your safety or the safety of your loved ones.”

The evacuation underscores the difficulty Ukraine has had in prosecuting a much-vaunted counter-offensive that began in June. Ukrainian forces have failed to retake Russian-occupied territory, while Russia claims to be advancing again on the Kharkiv front.

The city of Kupiansk and the territories around it were under Russian occupation until September 2022, when Ukrainian forces drove them back almost to the border. 

Ms Maliar said Russia had now “formed an offensive group and is attempting to move forward” and retake Kupiansk, the site of an important railway junction. 

Colonel-General Oleksandr Syrskyi said Russian troops were also advancing from Novoselivske in Lugansk, adding: “Our soldiers are bravely holding the defence.” 

Both sides continued to shell behind each other’s lines, with a Russian man killed in the border region of Bryansk and Russian air defences shooting down two drones headed towards Moscow. Flights were halted from Domodedovo and Vnukovo airports for several hours. An explosion at a factory near Moscow left 12 people missing, but authorities did not say what had caused it.

Ukraine does not confirm or deny its responsibility for firing the drones, but air force spokesman Yurii Ihnat said: “This cannot but please us because people in Moscow thought they were safe... Now, the war affects each and every Russian.”

Russia added that it had shot down two more drones over Crimea and electronically jammed nine others that fell into the Black Sea.

Ukraine reported six deaths from Russian shelling between Wednesday and this morning. Russian missiles also destroyed a fuel depot in Rivne.