Monday Briefing

Evacuees arriving in Kharkiv on Sunday.Credit…Emile Ducke for The New York Times

Russia pushed into Ukraine’s north

After launching a complex offensive on Friday, Russian troops have poured across Ukraine’s northeastern border. At least nine villages have been seized, and Russia has taken more square miles per day than at almost any other point in the war.

Now, some Ukrainian troops are retreating, and some commanders have taken the unusual step of blaming each other. Thousands of civilians have fled to Kharkiv, about 20 miles from the border and the nearest big city to the villages. For now, it is safe — but approaching machine gun fire is increasingly audible, those on the ground say.

Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, Ukraine’s top military commander, conceded that the situation had “significantly worsened.” But he said that Russian attempts to break through Ukrainian defensive lines had been unsuccessful so far.

Toll: Villagers in the Kherson region slowly rebuilt their lives after Ukraine pushed back Russia. Now residents are braced for a fresh assault.

In Russia: President Vladimir Putin moved Sergei Shoigu, his minister of defense, to a position running the national security council, the first shake-up for Putin’s national security team since the invasion began.

In Ukraine: Seaborne grain and oilseed exports are now approaching prewar levels, according to data shared with The Times.