Launched more than ten days ago, the Ukrainian counteroffensive to recover the territories lost by the Russian army is bearing fruit. According to the Institute for War Studies2500km² have been occupied.
This Saturday, the Ukrainian forces made two announcements: the soldiers recaptured the city of Kupyansk, in the east of the country, and, at the same time, Kyiv announced a military advance of “several tens of kilometers” in the south, signs of this progress. .
An Effective Counteroffensive in the Northeast
For weeks, Ukrainian officials had announced a planned counterattack in the Kherson region in the south of the country. This week, however, the counteroffensive was concentrated in the Kharkiv region in the northeast, taking everyone, including the Russians, by surprise.
This Friday, President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that thirty towns had been recovered from the hands of Russian forces in this region. “We are bringing back the Ukrainian flag and the protection of all our people everywhere,” he said in a video address.
It is in this region that Ukrainian soldiers planted his flag in the city of Kupyansk this Saturday. This is an important victory since this city of 27,000 inhabitants is on the supply routes of the Russian army. It could significantly affect Russia’s ability to supply and provide logistical support to its positions on the eastern front.
This recovery “could then make it possible to surround the city of Izioum, where there are currently several thousand Russian soldiers,” explains Matias Arraez, special correspondent for BFMTV in kyiv. Izium serves in particular as a launch pad for attacks to the south, in the Donetsk region.
Russian forces withdraw to Donbass
An official installed by the Russians in the occupied territory of the Kharkiv region admitted that the Moscow troops were on the defensive. “Just breaking through our defenses is already a substantial victory for the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” Vitaly Ganchev told state television, adding that Ukraine’s advance had been “very strong and fast.” The Guardian.
Faced with the situation, Russia announced on Friday that it had sent reinforcements to the Kharkiv region. This Saturday, he announced that he had “withdrawn” his forces present in the Balakliïa and Izium areas to “regroup” them near Donetsk, further south, “to achieve the declared objectives of the Donbass Special Liberation military operation.” the Russian Defense Ministry said.
Balakliïa is a city of 30,000 inhabitants, the largest conquered by the Kyiv forces since the beginning of the counter-offensive.
At the same time, the leader of the pro-Russian separatists of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DNR) admitted that the situation was “difficult” in the Donetsk region, in the Donbass mining basin, the scene of fierce fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces. . .
Secure territories and isolate Russian troops
“The Russians have lost the initiative, it must be recognized that they are headed for a fiasco (…), it is a rather surprising turnaround,” says General Jérôme Pellistrandi, defense consultant for BFMTV.
Senior US officials confirm this Ukrainian advance. “We see Ukraine making real and demonstrable progress,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Friday at NATO headquarters in Brussels, in remarks reported by The Guardian.
However, General Jérôme Pellistrandi specifies that we must be cautious. “It does not mean that they will be able to recover all the territories lost since February 24”, he continues, “their objective is to secure territory before the arrival of winter because it will be more difficult to maneuver at this time.”
According to CNN, Ukrainian forces seek to attack Russian supply routes, with the aim of cutting off and isolating Russian troops west of the Dnipro River.
Source: BFM TV
