Russia suffers a sensitive defeat near Kharkiv. And the Ukrainians are apparently not stopping there: the troops would advance further, the military leadership announced. Even in Kyiv people are surprised by the development.
Following recent military successes, Ukraine is continuing to press ahead with its counter-offensive. In the past day alone, more than 20 Russian-occupied towns have been recaptured, the General Staff said. The soldiers are about to take complete control of the towns and villages.
The British Ministry of Defense said in its daily situation report, which is based on intelligence, that Russia may have ordered the withdrawal of its troops from all previously occupied territory west of the Oskil River in the Kharkiv region. Thousands of Russian soldiers had recently abandoned their positions in the face of the surprisingly rapid advance of the Ukrainian troops, leaving behind large quantities of ammunition and equipment.
Vitaly Gantchev, a Russian-installed governor in the occupied territories of Kharkiv, admitted on Russian state television that Ukrainians had seized settlements in the north of the region. They had moved in with eight times more soldiers than Russia and its pro-Russian allies had stationed in the area. "The situation is getting more difficult by the hour," he said. About 5,000 civilians were brought to safety in Russia. The Ukrainian border with the Russian region of Belgorod is now closed. The information could not be independently verified.
At the weekend, Russia suffered some of its most severe setbacks in the war that has been going on for more than half a year. Crucial supply hubs had to be abandoned. According to the Ukrainian military, more than 3,000 square kilometers of occupied territory have been recaptured since early September. Especially around the second largest Ukrainian city of Kharkiv there was land gains. Starting from Kharkiv, the Ukrainian military is also moving south and east.
In a CNN interview recorded on Friday, Zelenskyy spoke of a possible breakthrough in the war. The British Ministry of Defense said the rapid successes of Ukraine's armed forces had a significant impact on Russia's overall operational plans. In the south, near Cherson, the Russian military is apparently struggling to get enough supplies across the Dnieper River to the front.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov told the Financial Times that the offensive is going far better than expected. It's like a snowball rolling down a slope. "This is a sign that Russia can be defeated." It is now important to secure the recaptured area against a possible counterattack by Russian troops on the thinned-out Ukrainian supply lines.
Zelenskyy said in the CNN interview that the Ukrainian armed forces could gain further territory in the winter if Kyiv received more powerful weapons. In view of Ukraine's military successes, there have recently been increasing calls in Germany to supply the government in Kyiv with more heavy weapons, including battle tanks like the "Leopard 2" made in Germany.
According to the federal government, Germany is in constant talks with its allies on the issue of further arms deliveries to Ukraine. Details could not be given, says a government spokeswoman. This also applies to the question of supplying western-style tanks. Chancellor Olaf Scholz has repeatedly emphasized that Germany will not go it alone. Nevertheless, there is no question that Germany will continue to support Ukraine.
