Oleg Synegubov, the commander of Ukrainian forces in Kharkiv, has claimed that dozens of Russian troops had surrendered amid ongoing battle in the city, which is just 20 miles from the Russian border.

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He further said that the detained soldiers complained of demoralisation, a lack of knowledge of the job, and a lack of fuel.

Synegubov allegedly shared photos of some of the captured Russian servicemen on his Facebook page.

He encouraged villagers to stay indoors, claiming that, “Leaving their positions, Russian fighters try to hide among the civilians, asking people for clothes and food.”

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On Sunday, social media footage showed numerous abandoned Russian military trucks encircled by Ukrainian soldiers near Kharkiv, where battle was said to be ongoing following an overnight barrage by Russian artillery.

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Earlier on Sunday, Ukrainian Interior Minister’s adviser Vadym Denysenko warned that Russian forces had attempted “to break into our cities. But the city of Kyiv, the city of Chernihiv, the city of Mariupol, the city of Kharkiv, are completely under Ukrainian control. Despite the fact that the Russians are sending their sabotage groups and they shell critical infrastructure, we have defended all our cities.”