on the beat Surprising field developments Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed on Sunday evening that his country’s forces had recaptured the strategic Isyum, as part of a large-scale counterattack.
In a speech to the nation on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the start of the Russian operation, Zelensky thanked the Ukrainian forces that “liberated hundreds of cities and towns, especially Balaklia, Izyum and Kobyansk,” referring to three strategic areas that the army has recently recaptured.
What is the importance of these cities?
Commenting on this progress, military observers made it clear that the Ukrainian army’s recapture of the city of Izyum would constitute a major setback for Russian forces in eastern Ukraine, according to AFP.
This city constitutes an important railway center, which the Russians seized in the spring following a bloody battle that lasted for weeks, in order to transport equipment and supplies.
Near the city of Izyum in eastern Ukraine (AFP)
Supply center
In turn, Kobyansk is of great strategic importance, due to the direct railway linking the city to Russia.
This town, 120 kilometers southeast of Kharkiv, is a hub for transporting supplies to Russian forces, and its loss is a painful setback for Moscow.
According to a number of observers, the Ukrainian forces were deliberately determined to go deeper behind the Russian lines, for several reasons, including raising the morale of the soldiers.
before winter
It is noteworthy that this progress or the most important field transformation on the battle lines in eastern Ukraine comes at a sensitive time, before the onset of winter, when it is expected that Western, especially European support for Kiev, will diminish, under the impact of the energy crisis that seems to hurt Europe as a whole, with the gas stoppage. Russian response to sanctions.
Yesterday morning, the Ukrainian army announced the recovery of areas with a total area of more than 3,000 square kilometers from Russian forces this month.
This came within the framework of a counter-attack centered in the north-east of the country, 7 months following Russian military operation begins On the lands of its western neighbor, and its former control over large areas in the Donbass region.
