Ukraine has withdrawn its troops from multiple villages in the border area of Kharkiv following continued pressure from Russian forces.

An Ukrainian military spokesman said that the decision to move troops from the Lukyantsi and Vovchansk areas was taken to avoid losses.

On the other hand, Russia has claimed that its forces have gained control over two additional settlements in the region, namely Lukyantski and Hlyboke, along with the village of Robotyne in the southern Zaporizhzhia region.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has decided to cancel all forthcoming foreign trips as Ukrainian troops are struggling to contain the situation.

In a related development, during his visit to Kyiv, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken declared an extra two billion dollars in military assistance to support the Ukrainian war effort. It comes weeks after the US Congress passed a 61 billion dollars aid package last month.