Russian troops pushed to within 3-4 km of Russian border near Kharkiv- U.S. official

Ukrainian service members ride on top of an armoured vehicle, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv, Ukraine, May 16, 2022. REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes

Ukrainian forces have pushed back Russian troops near the country's second-largest city of Kharkiv to within 3 to 4 kilometers (1.9-2.5 miles) of the Russian border, a senior U.S. defense official said on Monday.

(Reporting by Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart)

Ukrainian service members ride on top of an armoured vehicle, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv, Ukraine, May 16, 2022. REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes

A destroyed vehicle with a letter Z is pictured in Ruska Lozova, a village retaken by the Ukrainian forces, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Kharkiv region, Ukraine, May 15, 2022. REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes