The Ukrainian army announced on Sunday 11/9 the recapture of territory equivalent to 3,000 km² during a rapid offensive against Russian troops in the north, east and south of the country – tripling the area recaptured in the previous 24 hours.
The BBC was unable to independently verify the information (as journalists were denied access to the fronts), but the Russian Ministry of Defense did confirm that its forces had withdrawn from three key cities.
If the result is confirmed, the pace of the counterattack seems to have caught the Russians off guard.
Read what is known about the current situation below.
Image: BBC
Ukrainian counter-offensive in the north and east
On Thursday night (9/8), Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the recovery of the equivalent of 1,000 km² as shown in the map above.
On Saturday night (9/10), the number increased to 2,000 km², and Zelensky claimed that more than 30 villages were “liberated” in the Kharkov region. One of the top Russian officials responsible for Russia’s invasion of Kharkov admitted that Ukrainian forces had won a “significant victory”.
By Sunday, 11/9, Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, announced by Telegram that his country’s forces had regained control of more than 3,000 square kilometers since the beginning of the month, according to Reuters news agency. .
Significant progress, if confirmed, shows that Ukrainians have tripled their territorial gains in just over 48 hours.
The counteroffensive in the east allowed Ukrainian troops to enter key cities hitherto controlled by Russia, such as Izyum and Kupiansk.
If approved, this would be the most significant front change since Russia’s withdrawal from the areas around Kyiv in April.
What does Russia say?
Image: BBC
Russia’s Ministry of Defense has confirmed that its forces have withdrawn from Izyum (as seen in the map above) and Kupiansk so that troops can “regroup” in territory controlled by Moscow-backed separatists.
The ministry also confirmed the withdrawal of troops from a third key city, Balaklyia, on the grounds of “strengthening efforts” on the war front in the Donetsk region.
Kupiansk served as Russia’s main supply center on the eastern front of the conflict. The loss of Izium, which Moscow had been trying to take for more than a month at the start of the war, would have been seen as a major humiliation for President Vladimir Putin.
The head of the administration established by the Russians in Kharkov recommended that the Russian population be evacuated to Russia “to save lives”.
However, according to BBC Russia, the daily report of the Russian Ministry of Defense on Sunday 11/9 did not provide information on the withdrawal of troops from the area.
British defense officials warn that the war continues outside of these cities.
Ukrainian conquests in the south
Image: BBC
The attention of the international community has focused on the long-awaited Ukrainian advance in the region near the southern city of Kherson, as seen above.
This was the first city taken by Russian forces after the invasion, and recently Ukrainian soldiers tried to retake the area using new long-range artillery.
Kherson is strategically important to Russia if the country decides to attack the Ukrainian port of Odessa and is the main water supplier to Russian-controlled Crimea.
Analysts believe Russia is directing some of its most experienced troops to defend the city.
Nataliya Gumenyuk, spokesperson for the Ukrainian Army’s southern command, said they had advanced “two to several dozen kilometers” on this front.
It is said that the Russian forces fighting on the southern front have settled in the defensive positions and the Ukrainian soldiers have faced intense resistance here since the offensive began.
What is the scenario now?
Zelensky hailed the advance to Kharkiv province as a turning point in the six-month conflict and said winter could bring faster territorial conquests if Kiev had access to more destructive weapons.
Recent developments are also seen as a sign that the Ukrainian military has the capacity to retake occupied territories – crucial as the country continues to seek military support from its allies.
But Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov warned in an interview with the Financial Times of the potential for Russia’s counterattack.
“The counterattack liberates the area, after which you need to control it and be ready to defend it,” he said. “Of course we have to worry, this war has worried us for years.”
Russian forces still hold about a fifth of Ukraine – few believe that the final advance of the Ukrainian side will bring a swift end to the war.
– This text was published at https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/internacional-62872585.
source: Noticias
