Udalova's group delivers aid and helps get people to safety from Vovchansk, which had a prewar population of 17,000, most of whom have now fled. The group also helps those in the city of Derhachi, just north of Kharkiv city, as well as other villages where constant shelling means evacuating residents is fraught with risk.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow’s offensive on Ukraine’s Kharkiv aims to create a buffer zone but that there are no plans to capture the city.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Russia could increase its attacks in Ukraine's north east following its recent gains near the city of Kharkiv. Russian troops have been trying to push forward as Ukraine’s outgunned forces attempt to shore up a weakened front line.