MOSCOW, December 11. /TASS/. The Russian Army has been using artillery and aircraft to systematically destroy formations of the Ukrainian armed forces in the Kharkov Region, Vitaly Ganchev, the head of the regional military-civilian administration, told TASS.

"The current situation in the Kharkov section of the frontline involves the gradual destruction of the enemy through aircraft and artillery," he said.

He added that Russian troops were conducting active operations across the entire Kharkov frontline.

"If we take into account the characteristics of the territory where the fighting is taking place, we can see that clearing the Kharkov Region will take some time. It’s hard for our troops, but even harder for the enemy," the official noted.