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Ukrainian flags were placed on statues in a square in Balakleya, in the Kharkov region of Ukraine.
The Ukrainian military says its forces have recaptured 3,000 square kilometers in the north, east and south of the country, following a swift counteroffensive against Russia.
Although the BBC has not been able to independently verify the information, as journalists have been denied access to the front lines, the Russian Defense Ministry has confirmed the withdrawal of its forces from three key cities.
If confirmed, the pace of the counterattack appears to have taken the Russians by surprise.
In this note we share what we know.
Ukrainian counteroffensive in the north and east
On Thursday evening, September 8, the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskycalculated the amount of land reclaimed in the country’s counteroffensive at 1,000 square kilometers, as shown in the map below.
By the night of Saturday, September 10, that figure had increased to 2,000 square kilometers, and the president stated that more than 30 settlements in the Járk regioniv.
Russia’s top occupation official in the region admitted that Ukrainian forces had won a “significant victory”.
While this Sunday, according to the news agency Archyde.comUkraine’s Commander-in-Chief General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi said on Telegram that his country’s armed forces had regained control of more than 3,000 square kilometers since the beginning of this month.
The remarkable breakthrough, if confirmed, means Kyiv forces have tripled their victories in just over 48 hours.
The counterattack saw Ukrainian troops enter two cities that are vital for supply: Izyum) and Kupyansk. Both are controlled by Russia.
If it holds, this would be the most significant frontline change since the Russians withdrew from the areas around Kyiv in April.
What does Russia say?
The Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed the withdrawal of its forces from Izyum (as seen on the map above) and Kupyansk. He claimed this would allow his forces to “regroup” in territory controlled by Moscow-backed separatists.
He also confirmed the withdrawal of troops from a third key city, Balakleya, to “strengthen efforts” on the Donetsk front.
Kupyansk served as Russia’s main eastern supply center and the loss of Izyum, which Moscow spent over a month trying to take at the start of the war, would be seen as a great humiliation for the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.
The head of the Russian-installed administration in the Kharkiv region recommended that his people return to Russia “to save lives.”
However, the daily report of the Russian Ministry of Defense on Sunday, September 11, according to BBC Russia, said nothing about the withdrawal of troops in that area.
UK defense officials warn that fighting continues outside those towns.
International attention has focused on the Ukrainian advance in the city of Jershon.
It was the first city to be taken by Russian forces after the invasion, but Ukraine has recently tried to retake territory using new long-range artillery.
Jerson is a strategically important city if Russia intends to attack the Ukrainian port of Odessa, and it is also crucial as the main water supplier for Russian-controlled Crimea.
Analysts believe that Russia redirected some of its most experienced military to defend the city.
Nataliya Gumenyuk, a spokeswoman for the Ukrainian army’s southern command, said they had advanced “between two and several tens of kilometres” along that front.
But Russian forces fighting on the southern front are said to have dug in in defensive positions, and Ukrainian troops have faced heavy resistance since they began their attack.
What is the image now?
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed Ukraine’s advance into northeastern Kharkiv province as a milestone in the six-month-old war, saying this winter could bring faster “gains” of territory if Kyiv can get more weapons. powerful.
Wins would also look like a a sign that the Ukrainian army has the ability to recapture the occupied areascrucial as the government continues to ask its Western allies for military support.
However, in an interview with The Financial TimesUkrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov warned of the possibility of a Russian counterattack.
“A counteroffensive frees up territory and then you have to control it and be ready to defend it,” Reznikov said. “Of course we have to be worried, this war has worried us for years.”
Las Russian forces still control about a fifth of Ukraineso few imagine that this potential breakthrough on the Ukrainian side will bring a quick end to the war.
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