WASHINGTON, May 15. /TASS/. Washington and Kiev are discussing the deployment of Patriot air defense systems in Kharkov, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated at a joint press conference with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba in Kiev.

"On the Patriot batteries: as I mentioned, we are intensely focused on Patriots and other forms of the air defense, and making sure that we can find them, bring them to Ukraine. Kharkov, of course, is urgent one priority. <…> This is something [that] we discussed in detail and that we’re actively and urgently working on," he said.

Russia’s Defense Ministry reported earlier that Russian troops had liberated several communities in the Kharkov Region. Head of the Kharkov Region civil-military administration Vitaly Ganchev told TASS that Ukrainian troops had entrenched themselves in communities in the Kharkov direction. However, they could not but retreat under the onslaught of Russian forces, he added.

On Monday, in a video address, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said that the situation in the Kharkov Region was particularly tough. In turn, the Ukrainian General Staff noted the complex situation and redeployment of reserves to that area.

On May 14, the Ukrainian General Staff said that Ukrainian troops had to move "to more advantageous positions" near the village of Lukyantsy.