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Vitali Ganchev, the administrator appointed by Russia to the regions occupied around Kharkov, said that the number of Ukrainian soldiers there is eight times the number of Russian troops.
Speaking to Russian television, Ganchev stated that the Ukrainian army captured the villages in the north of the region and that they were based on the Russian border.
Ukraine has announced that it has regained control of the 3 thousand square kilometers occupied by Russia in the east of the country.
The BBC could not confirm these claims.
The Ukrainian army stated that they captured 20 villages in the last 24 hours alone, and that they took control of an area of 500 square kilometers in the Kherson region in the south of the country.
However, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov announced that operations will continue until all missions in Ukraine are completed.
Peskov also stated that President Vladimir Putin is constantly informed about the latest developments.
Russia also stated that they continue their attacks at points such as Izyum and Kupyansk, where Ukraine regained control.
Izyum Governor Valeri Marchenko told the BBC that the Ukrainian army entered the city and the Ukrainian flag was hoisted on the official buildings.
It was stated that Ukrainian troops are looking for Russian soldiers who may be hidden in the houses and they are carrying out cleaning activities in the city.
Marchenko said those who had to leave town could return safely within ten days.
Ukrainian troops entered the vital Russian supply towns of Izyum and Kupyansk on Saturday.
British defense ministry officials, on the other hand, warned that the fighting continued outside these towns.
Officials in Kiev also said that Ukrainian forces continue to fight for control of some settlements around Izyum.
The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that the troops were withdrawn from the towns of Izyum, Balakliya and Kupyansk.
In order to “regroup” the soldiers in Izyum, the Ministry; It was stated that the soldiers in Balakliya withdrew to support the Donetsk front.
Moscow said, “A three-day operation was carried out to withdraw the Izyum-Balakliya troops and to send them to the territory of the Donetsk People’s Republic in an organized manner.”
According to the Russian state news agency TASS, shortly after this statement, the chief administrator of the Russian-controlled region of Kharkov suggested that the people in the region be evacuated to Russia.
Russia still controls about one-fifth of Ukraine, and hardly anyone thinks the war will end quickly.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov warned of the potential for Russia’s counterattack.
“With a counterattack you liberate the area, then you need to control it and be ready to defend it,” Reznikov said.
Zelenskiy: Russia targeted water and electricity infrastructure in Kharkov for revenge
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Attack on a power station sparks fire
Ukraine’s leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that Russia, to avenge the Ukrainian counter-offensive, caused a power cut in eastern Ukraine, “preventing the enlightenment and warming of the people”.
It was stated that the disruptions affected millions of people in the eastern Kharkov and Donetsk regions.
The mayor of Kharkov announced that the electricity grid is now back to normal.
After the cuts, President Zelenskiy accused Russia on social media of committing “terrorist acts” by targeting civilian infrastructure.
“Cold, hunger, darkness and thirst are not as terrible and deadly to us as your ‘friendship and fraternity’,” Zelenskiy said in his Telegram message.
Kharkov Governor Ihor Trekov said Russian attacks targeting the city’s infrastructure left a large part of the city without electricity and water on Sunday evening.
He described the attacks as Russia’s “despicable and cynical attempt at revenge” in the face of the recent successes of the Ukrainian army.
BBC’s correspondent Orla Guerin reported that two more missile attacks were heard later in the evening.
The mayor called for calm in the area and announced that emergency services were taking action to repair the damage and put out the fires.
The mayor of the neighboring Sumy region also said that 130 settlements in only one region could not be supplied with electricity.
Similar problems were noted in Dnipropetrovsk and Poltava.
Zelenskiy said on Thursday evening that 1,000 square kilometers had been recaptured.
This figure increased to 2 thousand square kilometers on Saturday evening and then to 3 thousand on Sunday.
The BBC cannot confirm the figures given by the Ukrainian authorities because journalists are not allowed access to the front lines.