aaa escorted tours

Join AAA today Membership gives you access to Roadside Assistance, Deals, Discounts, and more.

• Add Members
• Gift Membership
• Member Benefits Guide
• The Extra Mile
• Renew Expires in 28 days

AAA Visa Signature® Credit Cards

Earn a $100 Statement Credit

After spending $1,000 on your card within 90 days of account opening.

• Advice back All Advice Travel Auto Money Home Life
• Destinations back All Destinations Northeast States Southeast States Central States Western States Mid-Atlantic States National Parks Road Trips International Travel Inspiration
• Connect back All Connect Community Stories Authors & Ambassadors
• Guides back All Guides Doing Your Taxes Protecting Your Valuables Winter Driving Buying and Selling a Car Buying and Selling a Home Getting Organized Home Improvement Improve Your Finances Maintaining Your Car Saving Money Staying Healthy Traveling
• Series back All Series AAA World Garden Road Trips Member News AAA's Take Good Question Car Reviews AAA Traveler Worldwise Foodie Finds Minute Escapes
• guided-tours

BOOK YOUR Travel TODAY

Same drop-off

Different drop-off

2 travelers

3 travelers

4 travelers

5 travelers

Adults (19+)

Children (2-18)

Lap Infant (0-1)

Seated Infant (0-1)

Please fill out all fields before searching

Adults (18+)

Children (1-17)

When booking two or more rooms, pricing is based on double occupancy.

Expertly Guided Tours

On a guided tour, all the details are taken care of so you can enjoy being immersed in the culture, customs, and history of each destination you visit. Guided travel lets you maximize every minute of your vacation time and see all the must-see sights. Your Tour Director takes care of the logistics, local experts take you to the heart of the places you visit, and don’t forget priority access, which lets you skip the lines at iconic sites, meaning less waiting and more time for exploring.  On tour, you can expect state-of-the-art motor coaches, English-speaking guides, and in-depth knowledge about what you’re seeing. Escorted touring can also be easy to budget for – many include extras such as sightseeing admissions, meals, private events, and other things all in one price. There’s always free time built into the itinerary, and you’ll have the chance to meet new people who share your interest in travel.

AAA Members enjoy exclusive benefits and perks on many guided tour itineraries.

Latest Deals

• Insight Vacations - September on Sale
• Rocky Mountaineer - Final Call to Save on 2024 Luxury Rail Journeys
• Trafalgar - September on Sale
• Brendan, Cost Saver, Insight Vacations, and Trafalgar: Limited Time Air Offer

Featured Partners

AAA Member Choice Vacations

Get more of what makes travel special. Every tour includes amazing accommodations, must-see sights, many meals and enriching cultural experiences.

Club Adventures

Whether you’re chasing waterfalls in Iceland or cruising the sparkling coastline of Croatia, we have something for every kind of traveler. Where will you go next?

Discover why Trafalgar tours have been trusted by 5 million guests and are proud to deliver the very best tours and unmissable experiences that you'll cherish for years to come.

African Travel

African Travel customizes immersive experiences with local people and wildlife. The safari experts give you five-star service every step of the way. From land and water safari adventures to group journeys, African Travel takes care of every detail.

Alexander + Roberts

Luxury Small Group Journeys guaranteed to have “Never More Than 16 Guests” and include stays at five-star hotels, fine dining, cultural experiences, and more.

Brendan Vacations

From hidden gems to the must-see sights, you decide which activities you want to experience and what delights you want to indulge in as part of your very own Celtic story.

The Ireland and Britain expert has a reputation for beloved guides, unique itineraries, authentic experiences, and the “All-In Inclusive Advantage”—so there are no hidden extras.

Insight Vacations

Incredible travel is about the connections you make and how you spend every moment—from authentic experiences that enrich the mind to stylish hotels that rest the soul.

Luxury Gold

Enjoy the finest end to end experience on the world's leading limited edition small group tours. With an average of 20 guests, every journey is filled with unrivaled Passport Moments, the golden threads that create your extraordinary vacation.

Rocky Mountaineer

Rocky Mountaineer offers luxury train journeys that provide some of the most spectacular scenery through Western Canada and the American Southwest.

Tauck's enriching guided tours, small ship ocean cruises, European river cruises and family travel adventures take you to all seven continents.

The Extra Mile: Guided Vacations

The Perks of Guided Vacations

For many, the idea of tackling a major European city or the national parks of the American west seems daunting. Going guided helps travelers tackle unfamiliar destinations.

The Four Ways You Can Experience Ireland

Ireland continues to be a top international travel destination for Americans.

Take Your Family on a Guided Vacation

Incredible destinations, expert tours and stress-free travel. Discover great family options for guided travel.

Welcome to AAA

To enjoy customized local content, please enter your ZIP Code below.

Limited Time Offer!

Please wait....

The Best Vacations and Tours Packages to Alcudia, Spain

Explore our handpicked selection of exceptional vacation and tour packages to Alcudia, ESP. Trips include guided and self-guided options as well as accommodations and meals. Book today or contact a AAA Travel Agent for exclusive AAA member benefits!

Showing 4/4 Vacation Results for Alcudia, Spain

More Articles

Travel like an expert with aaa and trip canvas, get ideas from the pros.

As one of the largest travel agencies in North America, we have a wealth of recommendations to share! Browse our articles and videos for inspiration, or dive right in with preplanned AAA Road Trips, cruises and vacation tours.

Build and Research Your Options

Save and organize every aspect of your trip including cruises, hotels, activities, transportation and more. Book hotels confidently using our AAA Diamond Designations and verified reviews.

Book Everything in One Place

From cruises to day tours, buy all parts of your vacation in one transaction, or work with our nationwide network of AAA Travel Agents to secure the trip of your dreams!

• Testimonials
• Search Trip
• Trans-Siberian Tours
• Saint Petersburg
• Northern Lights
• Lake Baikal
• Russia For Expats
• Winter Trains
• Arctic & North
• Golden Ring
• Russia Cruises
• Trans-Mongolian
• Sightseeing
• Trans Siberian
• Wildlife & Nature
• The Snow Empire
• Under 8 Days
• Kid Friendly
• Small Groups
• Senior Travels
• Expats Travel
• Luxury Trains
• Luxury Travels
• Russian Cruises
• Snowmobile Tours
• Youth Travel
• Why Book with Us
• Sustainable Travel
• At a glance
• Dates & Rates
• Terms & conditions

Browse tours by travel themes

Providing you with the best russian tours, our reviews, russian travel update.

Russia is open for international travelers regardless their citizenship/country of residence. Tourist visas are being issued in the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the UK, EU, Japan, and worldwide. Electronic visas (up to 16 days of stay, single entry) are available for the following nationals: Austria, Andorra, Bahrain, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Croatia, Cyprus, China, Czech Republic, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Ireland, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Myanmar, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Poland, Portugal, Philippines, Romania, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Taiwan, Turkey, Vatican, Vietnam.

You can bring foreign currency and exchange money freely in Russia. You can open a bank account and g et a debit card in one hour time, once you will have arrived, we assist.

Medical insurance is available for international travelers through Russian insurance companies.

International flights to Moscow and St Petersburg are available via Tbilisi (Georgia), Yerevan (Armenia), Baku (Azerbaijan), Istanbul (Turkey), Belgrade (Serbia), Dubai & Abu-Dhabi (UEA), Doha (Qatar), Algiers (Algeria),Tehran (Iran), Muscat (Oman), Cairo (Egypt), Astana & Almaty (Kazakhstan), Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Chongqing, Shenzhen, Qingdao & Xian (China), Delhi (India), Colombo (Sri-Lanka), Male (Maldives). Information changes frequently, please inquire.

Trans-Siberian travels can fly in/out Vladivostok via Beijing (China), Harbin (China), Bangkok (Thailand), Tashkent (Uzbekistan).

Trans-Siberians taking off in Irkutsk/Lake Baikal, fly to Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan), Dushanbe (Tadjikistan), Namangan (Uzbekistan), Osh (Uzbekistan), Beijing Daxing (China), Bangkok (Thailand), Ulaaanbaatar (Mongolia).

Explore the best travel destinations in Russia with our wide range of sightseeing tours to Moscow, St Petersburg, Golden Ring, Kazan; Northern Lights viewing tours; wildlife & nature tours to Lake Baikal tours, Altai, Kamchatka tours, Trans-Siberian train tours, and more. Find the best guided trips and expert planned Russian holidays 2023-2024.

Thank you! One of your our travel experts will contact you within 24 hours.

• Sign up for newsletter

• Preplanned tours
• Daytrips out of Moscow
• Themed tours
• Customized tours
• St. Petersburg

With us you won't get lost

See Moscow your way!

With us your visit to Moscow will be an easy and insightful experience!

We are certified Moscow tour guides, offering private tours - both  traditional sightseeing tours and our own unique tours in Moscow and nearby. Our guides can also help you to make sense of Moscow metro, as well as to become familiar to Russian food and the Cyrillic alphabet, and give you ideas about what else to visit and what else to do in Moscow.

There are historical towns around Moscow - Suzdal, Sergiev Posad - which definitely worth a daytrip. 

Most tourists in Russia also visit  Saint-Petersburg .  Check our 1, 2 and 3 days programs there !

• Today's news
• Reviews and deals
• Climate change
• 2024 election
• Fall allergies
• Health news
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Family health
• So mini ways
• Unapologetically
• Buying guides

Entertainment

• How to Watch
• My watchlist
• Stock market
• Biden economy
• Personal finance
• Stocks: most active
• Stocks: gainers
• Stocks: losers
• Trending tickers
• World indices
• US Treasury bonds
• Top mutual funds
• Highest open interest
• Highest implied volatility
• Currency converter
• Basic materials
• Communication services
• Consumer cyclical
• Consumer defensive
• Financial services
• Industrials
• Real estate
• Mutual funds
• Credit cards
• Balance transfer cards
• Cash back cards
• Rewards cards
• Travel cards
• Online checking
• High-yield savings
• Money market
• Home equity loan
• Personal loans
• Student loans
• Options pit
• Fantasy football
• Pro Pick 'Em
• College Pick 'Em
• Fantasy baseball
• Fantasy hockey
• Fantasy basketball
• Download the app
• Daily fantasy
• Scores and schedules
• GameChannel
• World Baseball Classic
• Premier League
• CONCACAF League
• Champions League
• Motorsports
• Horse racing
• Newsletters

New on Yahoo

• Privacy Dashboard

Putin says Russia could deploy missiles in striking distance of the West

By Samia Nakhoul and Guy Faulconbridge

ST PETERSBURG, Russia (Reuters) -Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday he could deploy conventional missiles within striking distance of the United States and its European allies if they allowed Ukraine to strike deeper into Russia with long-range Western weapons.

Putin, in his first face-to-face meeting with senior editors of international news agencies since the war in Ukraine began, said the West was wrong to assume Russia would never use nuclear weapons, and said the Kremlin's nuclear doctrine should not be taken lightly.

When asked about NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg's calls to allow Ukraine to use Western weapons to strike Russian territory, Putin differentiated between different missiles but warned allowing Kyiv to strike Russia with ever more powerful weapons was a serious escalation that was drawing the West towards a war with Russia.

Russia's response, the 71-year-old Kremlin chief said, would be to shoot down the Western missiles, and specifically mentioned U.S. ATACMS, and British and French missile systems.

Putin also said Moscow was considering deploying similar high-technology, long-range missiles close enough to strike the states that allowed Ukraine to strike Russian territory with such missiles.

"If we see that these countries are being drawn into a war against the Russian Federation, then we reserve the right to act in the same way. In general, this is a path to very serious problems," Putin said.

Putin did not give specifics of where he was considering delivering such missiles.

President Joe Biden authorized Kyiv to launch some U.S.-supplied weapons at military targets inside Russia. Washington still prohibits Kyiv from striking Russia with ATACMS, which have a range of up to 186 miles (300 km), and other long-range U.S.-supplied weapons.

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, during a visit to Kyiv on May 3, told Reuters Ukraine had a right to use the weapons provided by Britain to strike targets inside Russia, and it was up to Kyiv whether to do so.

NUCLEAR RISK

Speaking to journalists for more than three hours at the newly built 81-floor Gazprom tower ahead of the annual St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, Putin touched on subjects from the war in Gaza to the upcoming U.S. election.

"No one in the United States is interested in Ukraine, they are interested in the greatness of the United States, which is fighting not for Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, but for its own greatness."

Putin said Russia did not care who the next U.S. president was but said the U.S. court system was clearly being used in a political battle against Republican nominee Donald Trump.

"They are burning themselves from the inside, their state, their political system ... It is obvious all over the world that the prosecution of Trump, especially in court on charges that were formed on the basis of events that happened years ago, without direct proof, is simply using the judicial system in an internal political struggle," said Putin.

More than two years into the deadliest land war in Europe since World War Two, Putin is increasingly talking of the risk of a global conflict as the West grapples with what to do about the advance of Russian troops in Ukraine.

When asked about the risk of nuclear war, Putin said Russia's nuclear doctrine allowed the use of such weapons.

"For some reason, the West believes that Russia will never use it," Putin said when asked by Reuters about the risk of nuclear escalation over Ukraine during more than three hours of questioning.

"We have a nuclear doctrine, look what it says. If someone's actions threaten our sovereignty and territorial integrity, we consider it possible for us to use all means at our disposal. This should not be taken lightly, superficially."

Russia's published 2020 nuclear doctrine sets out the conditions under which a Russian president would consider using a nuclear weapon: broadly as a response to an attack using nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction, or to the use of conventional weapons against Russia "when the very existence of the state is put under threat."

NATO ATTACK?

Putin casts the conflict in Ukraine as part of an existential battle with a declining and decadent West which he says humiliated Russia after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 by encroaching on what he considers Moscow's sphere of influence, including Ukraine.

Putin said the West refused to speak about the causes of the war - which he said started in 2014 after a pro-Russian president was toppled in Ukraine's Maidan Revolution. Putin cast it as a U.S.-backed coup.

The West describes the invasion as an imperial-style land grab and has vowed to help Ukraine defeat Russian forces.

Ukraine says it will not rest until every last Russian soldier is ejected from the areas of Ukraine they control and which Moscow now considers to be parts of Russia.

Western leaders and Ukraine have played down Russia's warnings about the risk of a broader war involving Russia but have repeatedly warned Putin might attack a member of NATO, the world's most powerful military alliance.

Both Putin and Biden have said that a direct conflict between Russia, the world's biggest nuclear power, and U.S.-led NATO would be a step towards World War Three.

"You should not make Russia out to be the enemy. You're only hurting yourself with this, you know?" Putin said.

"They thought that Russia wanted to attack NATO. Have you gone completely crazy? That is as thick as this table. Who came up with this? It is just complete nonsense, you know? Total rubbish."

(Additional reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin; Editing by Andrew Osborn and Lincoln Feast.)

Recommended Stories

Paul skenes blows away shohei ohtani, who returns the favor in his next at-bat.

The Dodgers-Pirates matchup lived up to its billing.

French Open 2024: How to watch the Jasmine Paolini vs. Mirra Andreeva match

It's time for the clay court Grand Slam at Roland Garros. Here's how to tune into Paolini vs. Andreeva.

'Pathetic': Only 7 EV charging sites deployed so far under $5B federal program

Just seven electric-vehicle (EV) charging stations have begun operating with funding from a $5-billion U.S. government program created in 2021, marking "pathetic" progress, a Democratic senator said on Wednesday.

UConn’s Geno Auriemma thinks Caitlin Clark is being ‘targeted’ in the WNBA after incident with Chennedy Carter

"I don't remember when Jordan came into the [NBA], guys looking to go out and beat him up."

French Open 2024: How to watch the Iga Swiatek vs. Coco Gauff match

It's time for the clay court Grand Slam at Roland Garros. Here's how to tune into Swiatek vs. Gauff.

Humans can catch bird flu, but not easily. What experts say about symptoms and risks

What to know about symptoms and risk after three Americans tested positive for the virus this year.

Shoppers call this fridge lazy Susan a 'mini revolution': Get it for $14 (45% off)

Unlike round models, this top-rated rectangular version maximizes space to cut down on condiment clutter.

French Open: 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva, 28-year-old Jasmine Paolini pull off upsets to make first Grand Slam semifinals

Mirra Andreeva is the youngest Grand Slam semifinalist since 1997.

Amazon Prime Day 2024: Here's everything to know about Amazon's big sale in July and the best deals to shop now

Prime Day is confirmed to be kicking off sometime in July. Here's all the info we have, along with super deals you can shop early.

Turn one plug into 12 with this outlet-transforming power strip — over 60% off

Reviewers say this $10 gadget holds strong through a 'series of lightning-fast surges' to keep your tech safe.

Best airline credit cards for June 2024

Looking to save on flight costs when you book your next trip? These are the best airline credit cards currently available.

An FDA panel just rejected using MDMA to treat PTSD. Here are 5 things to know about the psychedelic drug.

MDMA, also known as ecstasy, is seen by some experts as a potential breakthrough treatment for PTSD, a mental health condition that’s difficult to treat.

The best kitchen deals this week, according to a pro baker: Save up to 60%

Snag a Lodge Dutch oven that rivals Le Creuset for just $70, plus a bestselling Ninja Creami marked down by $50 and more.

Supreme Court decision guide: A breakdown of major cases and rulings expected in June and early July

The U.S. Supreme Court will be issuing decisions in a number of high-stakes cases concerning hot-button issues like abortion, gun access and former president Trump's criminal cases. Here's a guide to some of the major cases the justices will rule on in the coming weeks.

Stability AI releases a sound generator

Stability AI, the startup behind the AI-powered art generator Stable Diffusion, has released an open AI model for generating sounds and songs that it claims was trained exclusively on royalty-free recordings. Called Stable Audio Open, the generative model takes a text description (e.g. Stability AI says that the model can be used to create drum beats, instrument riffs, ambient noises and "production elements" for videos, films and TV shows as well as to "edit" existing songs or apply the style of one song (e.g.

Types of U.S. savings bonds and how they work

Learn more about the types of savings bonds available and how they work, plus, how to cash them in.

Whizz wants to own the delivery e-bike subscription space, starting with NYC

New York City, home to over 60,000 gig delivery workers, has been cracking down on cheap, uncertified e-bikes that have resulted in battery fires across the city. “I think the market is moving from a Wild West to a mature market,” Mike Peregudov, CEO and co-founder at Whizz, told TechCrunch. The New York-based startup claims to offer gig workers access to safe, high-quality e-bikes for between $139 and $149 per month.

Boeing’s Starliner astronaut capsule is en route to the ISS 

Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft is officially on its way to the International Space Station, marking an historic first for the long-delayed astronaut transportation program. Inside the spacecraft are two NASA astronauts — spaceflight veterans Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams — who are set to arrive to the station on Thursday.

Pamela Anderson, 56, favors a natural face — but she loves this luxe lip balm

The fresh-faced beauty icon relies on this nourishing product for a hydrated and glossy pout.

Ex-NBA player Chase Budinger qualifies for Paris Olympics in beach volleyball

Chase Budinger spent parts of seven seasons in the NBA. Now the former McDonald's All-American is enjoying a successful second act in his childhood favorite sport.

US tests hypersonic nuclear missile that can reach Moscow in 30 minutes as WW3 fears rise

The unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California to show the "readiness of nuclear US forces"

• 10:39, 5 Jun 2024

The US military has tested a hypersonic nuclear missile that can reach Moscow in just 30 minutes amid rising World War 3 fears .

The unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launched off at 12.56am local time on Tuesday from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. According to US officials, the rationale behind the test was to show the "readiness of nuclear US forces" and provide "confidence in the nation's nuclear deterrence."

'"This test launch marks the start of a remarkable week for our Guardians and Airmen at Vandenberg, with two test launches scheduled from the Western Range,'" Col. Bryan Titus, the Space Launch Delta 30 vice commander, said. "These tests hold immense significance, not only for our nation's defence but also serve as a pivotal moment in showcasing the exceptional capabilities and expertise of our dedicated team."

READ MORE: FBI chief shares alarming warning of Russian concert hall style terror attack

The missile is capable of reaching any target, including Russia which is 5,900 miles away from California, and China , which is 6,000 miles away, in just 30 minutes. The demonstration on Tuesday is the first of two tests scheduled for this week, with the next on Thursday.

The ICBM missile is one of two used by the US including the ballistic missiles (SLBMs) that are deployed from underwater submarines. It comes as the United States flew a long-range B-1B bomber over the Korean Peninsula on Wednesday for its first precision-guided bombing drill with South Korea in seven years.

For all the latest on news, politics, sports, and showbiz from the USA, go to The Mirror US .

The U.S. B-1B bomber conducted joint aerial drills with other U.S. and South Korean fighter jets, South Korea’s Defence Ministry said in a statement. It said the B-1B bomber dropped Joint Direct Attack Munitions during the training while being escorted by South Korean jets, the first such bombing drill since 2017.

The JDAM bombs include “bunker-busters.” JDAM is a guidance system that converts unguided, conventional bombs into more precise, GPS-guided weapons. All US fighter jets, bombers and drones can use JDAMs, and the munitions are among the weapons systems the United States has been providing to Ukraine to help it fight Russia’s invasion.

The drill is seen as a show of force against North Korea amid rising tensions over its recent launches of trash-carrying balloons toward South Korea. North Korea is sensitive to drills of bunker-buster bombs, which could threaten its leadership. A B-1B is capable of carrying a large conventional weapons payload. North Korea has previously called the bomber’s deployment proof of US hostility and responded with missile tests.

In the past week, North Korea floated hundreds of huge balloons containing manure, cigarette butts, scraps of cloth, dead batteries and reportedly dirty diapers across the border into South Korea. In response, South Korea vowed “unbearable” retaliatory steps and suspended a fragile military deal meant to ease tensions with its northern neighbour.

MORE ON Nuclear weapons Russia World War 3

Get email updates with the day's biggest stories.

Advertisement

Supported by

Ukraine Warns of Deepening Russian Threat in the North

Analysts say an offensive in the Kharkiv or Sumy regions could stretch Ukrainian troops to the breaking point and allow Moscow to punch through.

• Share full article

By Constant Méheut

Reporting from Kyiv, Ukraine

Top Ukrainian military officials have warned that Russia is building up troops near northeastern Ukraine, raising fears that a new offensive push could be imminent in a region that has become a pressure point on strained Ukrainian forces.

Gen. Oleksandr Syrsky, Ukraine’s commander in chief , said on Thursday that Moscow was redeploying troops toward Vovchansk and Lyptsi, two villages near the city of Kharkiv that Russian forces have been trying to capture for more than two weeks. Other officials have also said that Russia has massed troops further north, across from the Ukrainian region of Sumy, in preparation for a possible ground offensive in that area.

“These forces are not enough to launch a full-scale offensive and break through our defenses,” General Syrsky wrote on Facebook on Thursday. Still, he said, a reorganization of Ukrainian defenses in the area was underway to be prepared to repel assaults.

Russia’s incursion across the border toward Kharkiv has introduced a distressing threat to Ukraine’s military, which is already under constant assault farther southeast in the Donbas . Commanders have been forced to move troops to the north to shore up defenses while waiting for Western weapons in numbers big enough to have an impact.

The massing of Russian troops north of the border near the city of Sumy, about 90 miles northwest of Kharkiv, makes the situation even more precarious, expanding the amount of territory Ukraine must defend. Analysts say an offensive in the Kharkiv or Sumy regions could stretch Ukrainian troops to the breaking point and allow Russia to punch through.

Earlier this month, Russian forces opened a front in the northeastern Kharkiv region, pushing through weak Ukrainian defenses in the area and quickly capturing a dozen settlements. Ukraine ultimately managed to halt the Russian advance by slowly falling back to more heavily fortified positions .

But to fend off the Russian attacks, Ukrainian commanders have also had to rush in reserves and redeploy elite units to the northeast, weakening their positions elsewhere along the front, such as in the eastern Donetsk region, where Moscow’s forces are slowly advancing by mounting bloody sieges of towns and villages.

Serhii Kuzan, chairman of the Ukrainian Security and Cooperation Center, a nongovernmental research group, said, “Russia’s main goal is to expand the active front, disorganize the Ukrainian defense forces and deprive the Ukrainian command of the ability to use reserves.”

Mr. Kuzan added that forcing Ukraine to divert troops to the North would improve Russia’s prospects of capturing the Donetsk region, which Moscow formally annexed in 2022 but does not fully control. Military analysts say gaining control of the region entirely is a top priority for the Kremlin.

Rustem Umerov, Ukraine’s defense minister, told Reuters on Tuesday that Russia was massing thousands of troops preparing for a fresh push. “Their objective is to open a new front in the north to start using all their manpower, firing power, against us,” he said.

Ukrainian officials have warned for several days that Russia has massed some 10,000 troops across the border from the Sumy region, a force that they say is not strong enough to capture major towns or cities but could tie up Ukrainian units in the area.

Andriy Demchenko, a spokesman for Ukraine’s border service, said this week that Russia was conducting reconnaissance missions there to expose the location of Ukrainian defenses.

“Attempts by subversive groups have been recorded along the entire length of the Sumy region’s border,” Mr. Demchenko told the Ukrainian news media , adding that Russian troops might at some point “try to carry out similar actions that we are now seeing in the Kharkiv region.”

Ukrainian officials have complained in recent months that they cannot prevent the buildup of troops just over the border in Russian territory because allies have barred them from firing Western weapons into Russia. Their calls to lift that ban have met with some success in recent days as France, Poland, Sweden and the NATO secretary general, Jens Stoltenberg, have said that Kyiv should be allowed to strike military targets in Russia with those weapons.

President Biden on Thursday authorized Ukraine to conduct limited strikes inside Russia with U.S.-made weapons. White House officials said that the permission extended only to what they called acts of self-defense, so Ukraine could protect Kharkiv.

For now, Ukraine is left trying to fend off Russian attacks all along the front line. Russian troops have recently made marginal gains in the Donetsk region, according to maps of the battlefield compiled by independent analysts from satellite imagery and video footage of the fighting. In particular, they have reached the eastern outskirts of Chasiv Yar, a Ukrainian stronghold that is one of Moscow’s main targets.

Capturing Chasiv Yar would give Russian forces control of commanding heights in the area and expose cities that Ukraine uses as logistical hubs to increased artillery fire.

General Syrsky said on Thursday that Russia was supporting its ground assaults with airstrikes, using powerful guided bombs known as glide bombs which can carry up to a ton of explosive and can smash through concrete bunkers. He said that Ukraine urgently needed antiaircraft weapons to shoot down the planes launching the bombs.

Sweden said on Wednesday it was sending more than $1 billion of military aid to Ukraine, its biggest package so far, including air defense missiles along with surveillance and control aircraft capable of tracking fighter jets and bombers.

Ukraine’s “capability to identify targets at long range will be strengthened,” the Swedish defense minister, Pal Jonson, wrote on social media .

Constant Méheut reports on the war in Ukraine, including battlefield developments, attacks on civilian centers and how the war is affecting its people. More about Constant Méheut

Our Coverage of the War in Ukraine

News and Analysis

The decision by the Biden administration to allow Ukraine to strike inside Russia  with American-made weapons fulfills a long-held wish by officials in Kyiv  that they claimed was essential to level the playing field.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken suggested that Ukraine’s use of U.S.-supplied arms could expand beyond the current limitation  to strikes in the Kharkiv area.

Top Ukrainian military officials have warned that Russia is building up troops near northeastern Ukraine , raising fears that a new offensive push could be imminent.

Zelensky Interview: In an interview with The New York Times, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine challenged the West  over its reluctance to take bolder action.

Tug of War:  Fueled in part by the Ukraine war, tensions have been mounting in former Soviet states like Georgia and Moldova , pitting those favoring closer relations with Russia against those orientated more toward Europe.

Fleeing a War Zone: A 98-year-old Ukrainian grandmother stumbled past corpses and bomb craters  to escape Russia’s attacks.

How We Verify Our Reporting

Our team of visual journalists analyzes satellite images, photographs , videos and radio transmissions  to independently confirm troop movements and other details.

We monitor and authenticate reports on social media, corroborating these with eyewitness accounts and interviews. Read more about our reporting efforts .