President Volodymyr Zelensky has visited the recaptured city of Izyum.
Highlights –Â
- Zelensky thanked troops who counterattacked Russian occupiers during his visit.
- He oversaw a flag-raising ceremony and said it would return to every city and village.
- After a rapid counteroffensive, Ukrainian officials say they’re targeting eastern Donbas towns.
- Ukraine’s army has reclaimed occupied territory, forcing Russian troops to retreat.
- Mr Zelensky said his forces are fortifying 8,000 sq km (3,088 sq miles) of retaken territory in Kharkiv.
- President Zelensky said Ukraine retook 1,000 sq km last Thursday. On Sunday, Ukraine’s figure tripled to 3,000 sq km, then rose to 6,000 sq km.
- Mr. Zelensky vowed to reclaim all Ukrainian territory occupied by Russian forces, saying “truth is on our side.”
According to Ukrainian military intelligence, Russia is deploying barrier troops in Ukraine to prevent its own units from fleeing. As per the intercepted conversations, Russian troops are “panicking” and “refusing to fight.”
On Wednesday, Ukrainian officials accused Russian forces of targeting civilian infrastructure in Kryvyi Rih. Ukrainian authorities say cruise missiles fired at the city’s “hydraulic structures” raised river water levels and threatened drinking supplies. Mr. Zelensky called Russia a “terrorist state” trying to “flood Kryvyi Rih”.
“All the occupants can do is sow panic, create an emergency, and starve people. Can we survive? Never. Will they face retribution? “Unquestionably,” he said.
Scholz: Putin doesn’t regret the Ukraine war.
Biden said Ukraine had made “significant” gains. “It’s clear” that the advance was successful, but the offensive “could be long,” he said. Russia still controls about a fifth of Ukraine’s territory, but Kyiv’s advancing forces are targeting Donbas towns that fell early in the war.
After failing to capture cities across Ukraine, including the capital Kyiv, Russia is focusing on the Donbas, where Russian-backed rebels already controlled parts before the invasion. Andrey Marochko, military commander of the self-proclaimed Luhansk People’s Republic, said fighting had reached the territory’s borders.
Serhiy Haidai, the exiled head of Luhansk, said Ukrainian forces were fighting Russian troops near Lyman. Mr. Haidai said in a Telegram post, “There are fierce battles in Lyman now.”
“Liberated areas report Russian torture.” Newly liberated villages are ecstatic.
The surprise attack succeeds, but danger remains. Lyman fell to Russian forces after a May battle. It’s less than 150 km (93 miles) from Donetsk, the self-proclaimed capital. Its capture gave Russia control of a key east-west highway.
In other areas, Ukrainian forces have reportedly reached the Russian border, and Mr. Hayday said their capture of Izyum and Kupyansk could cut supply lines to Severodonetsk and Lysychansk.
Russia seems surprised by Ukraine’s rapid advance.
As Ukraine’s forces move into previously occupied areas, war crimes allegations have surfaced. Russian troops tortured civilians at the town’s police station and electrocuted others in detention. The Kremlin admits its forces have left some eastern towns, but insists they are regrouping.
Moscow said Monday it will continue its invasion “until all its goals are met.”
The pace of the Ukrainian advance seems to have surprised Russian forces, with some abandoning their uniforms to blend in with civilians.
In some areas, retreating troops left behind Russian teachers who moved to Ukraine after Moscow took control. Ukrainian forces have detained an unspecified number of people, and Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk says they will be charged.
On Tuesday, september 13, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to pull out his troops and resume talks with Ukraine. Scholz urged Putin to “find a diplomatic solution as soon as possible, based on a ceasefire, a complete withdrawal of Russian troops, and respect for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.”
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