A Russian-installed regional official stated on Friday that Ukrainian forces were conquering a growing area of previously Russian-held territory in the east in a ‘very sharp and quick’ advance, a breakthrough that might mark a turning point in the war. After a day of silence, Russia practically admitted that a sector of their frontline had collapsed southeast of Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city.
‘The enemy is being delayed as much as possible, but some communities have already come into the hands of Ukrainian armed formations,’ Vitaly Ganchev, director of the Russian-backed government in Kharkiv area, stated on Vladimir Solovyov’s regular broadcast on state television. Ganchev previously stated that his administration was attempting to evacuate residents from places such as Izium, Russia’s main stronghold and logistics base in the province near the front in eastern Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says troops have reclaimed more than 1,000 square km (385 square miles) of territory from Russia in the east of the country. Russian defence ministry releases video of military vehicles speeding along a highway, saying they show reinforcements rushing to defend Kupiansk. Ukraine kept independent journalists out of the area and Reuters could not confirm the images. Western military analysts say advance could shut supply lines Moscow has relied on to sustain its force in eastern Ukraine.
Such quick gains have essentially been unheard of since Russia abandoned its assault on Kyiv in March, effectively turning the conflict into a slog along entrenched front lines. ‘ We see progress in Kherson today, we see some success in Kharkiv, and that is very, very promising’, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said at a news conference in Prague with his Czech colleague. According to the Ukrainian general staff, retreating Russian soldiers are attempting to evacuate injured people and damaged military equipment near Kharkiv.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says Ukrainian forces have advanced almost 50 km (30 miles) in three days. In the latest reported strike on civilians, Ukrainian officials said Russia had fired across the border, hitting a hospital. Russia denies intentionally targeting civilians. The centre of Kharkiv was hit by Russian rocket fire, wounding 10 people, including children.
BREAKTHROUGH
The Ukrainians broke through in the east a week after Kyiv declared the launch of a long-awaited counter-offensive hundreds of kilometres away in the southern region of Kherson. According to Ukrainian authorities, Russia withdrew thousands of troops south in response to the Kherson assault, leaving other areas of the front line vulnerable.
Ukraine has been using new Western-supplied artillery and rockets to hit Russian rear positions in the south. The aim is to trap thousands of Russian troops on the west bank of the Dnipro River. Russia’s state news agency RIA says some Ukrainian troops were captured during the counterattack. U.N. nuclear watchdog says shelling has destroyed power infrastructure in southern Ukrainian city of Enerhodar.
Ukraine has been using new Western-supplied artillery and rockets to hit Russian rear positions in the south. The aim is to trap thousands of Russian troops on the west bank of the Dnipro River. Russia’s state news agency RIA says some Ukrainian troops were captured during the counterattack. U.N. nuclear watchdog says shelling has destroyed power infrastructure in southern Ukrainian city of Enerhodar.
Post Your Comments