<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>Thousands more civilians have fled Russia's renewed ground offensive in Ukraine's northeast that has targeted towns and villages with a barrage of artillery and mortar fire, officials said Sunday.</b></span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The intense battles have forced at least one Ukrainian unit to withdraw in the Kharkiv region, capitulating more land to Russian forces across less defended settlements in the so-called contested "gray zone" along the Russian border.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Meanwhile, a 10-story apartment block collapsed in the Russian city of Belgorod, near the border, with several deaths and injuries reported. Russian authorities said the building collapsed following Ukrainian shelling. Ukraine has not commented on the incident.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">At least 4,000 civilians have fled the Kharkiv region since Friday, when Moscow's forces launched the operation, Gov. Oleh Syniehubov said in a social media statement. Heavy fighting raged Sunday along the northeast front line, where Russian forces attacked 27 settlements in the past 24 hours, he said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Analysts say the Russian push is designed to exploit ammunition shortages before promised Western supplies can reach the front line. Ukrainian soldiers said the Kremlin is using the usual Russian tactic by launching a disproportionate amount of fire and infantry assaults to exhaust their troops and firepower.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">It comes after Russia stepped up attacks in March targeting energy infrastructure and settlements, which analysts predicted were a concerted effort by Moscow to shape conditions for an offensive.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that disrupting Russia's offensive in the area was a priority, and that Kyiv's troops were continuing counteroffensive operations in seven villages around the Kharkiv region. According to AP reports&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd/fas</div>