On Saturday, the Ukrainians recaptured the strategic cities of Izyum and Kupiansk for troop supply.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Sunday that his forces had recaptured more than 3,000 square kilometers in eastern Ukraine in a rapid counterattack against Russia.

Its latest update, if confirmed, means Kyiv forces have more than tripled their gains in a little over 24 hours.

The rapid advance of Ukraine caused troops to enter the main cities of Izyum and Kupiansk on Saturday (10/09).

On Thursday, Zelensky said his forces had reclaimed 1,000 square kilometers, increasing the number to 2,000 square kilometers on Saturday.

The BBC was unable to verify the data and journalists were denied access to the war fronts.

British defense officials said fighting continued outside of the towns to be recaptured.

Officials in Kiev added that Ukrainian forces are still struggling to take control of many settlements around Izyum, and that more than 30 towns and villages in the Kharkov region have been recaptured.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense confirmed the withdrawal of its forces from Izyum and Kupiansk, saying this would allow its forces to “regroup” in territory controlled by Moscow-backed Ukrainian separatists.

The Russian ministry also confirmed the withdrawal of troops from the third largest city, Balaklyia, to “strengthen efforts” on the Donetsk front. Ukrainian forces entered the city on Friday 09/09.

Meanwhile, the head of the administration established by the Russians in the Kharkov region recommended that its people be evacuated to Russia “to save lives”.

Unconfirmed images on social media showed long queues of vehicles at border crossings.

And the governor of Russia’s Belgorod border region said that people in the queue will be provided with supplies, heating and medical care.

The speed of the counterattack not only caught the Russians off guard, but also surprised some Ukrainians.

But the Russians still own about a fifth of the country, and few dream of a quick end to the war.

Ukraine’s advance, if sustained, will be the most significant changes on the frontline since Russia’s withdrawal from areas around Kyiv in April.

Kupiansk served as Russia’s main supply center in the east, and the loss of Izyum, which Moscow had been trying to seize for more than a month at the start of the war, would have been seen as a major humiliation for Russian President Vladimir Putin.

According to one military expert, this progress was It marks the first time since World War II that all Russian troops have been lost.

The gains will also be seen as a sign that the Ukrainian military has the capacity to retake occupied territory – crucial as Kyiv continues to turn to pressured Western allies for military support.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said recent events had shown that his forces could end the war faster with more Western weapons.

Journalists have been denied access to the front lines, and Ukraine is determined to rein in the information war.

On Saturday 10/09, UK defense officials suggested that much of the reclaimed area was only “lightly guarded”.

Ukraine launched its eastward counterattack earlier this week as international attention focused on an early advance near the southern city of Kherson.

Analysts believe Russia is directing some of its most experienced troops to defend the city.

But Ukraine is making gains in the south as well as gaining ground in the east, according to one official.

Nataliya Gumenyuk, spokesperson for the Ukrainian army’s southern command, said they had advanced “two to several dozen kilometers” on this front.

However, it is said that the Russian forces fighting on the southern front settled in the defensive positions and the Ukrainian troops faced stiff resistance from the beginning of the offensive.

According to local officials, one person was killed and several houses damaged in Kharkov as Russian rockets hit the city on Saturday.

Elsewhere, Ukraine’s energy regulator Energoatom said the last reactor at the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant had shut down and was not producing electricity.

The reactor had been generating power for the facility itself for three days. It was turned off when external power was restored.

The Ukrainian regulator said it was essential to stop the bombing of the power lines connecting the station to the national grid to avoid an emergency.

– This text was originally published at https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/internacional-62865244.

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