Russian forces in northeast Ukraine ‘collapsing’ as Ukraine ‘routs’ invading army

Ukrainian armed forces claim to have recaptured more than 20 settlements in the past 24 hours amid a large counter-offensive.

Russia’s armed forces are “collapsing” in the Kharkiv Oblast after a lightning counteroffensive by Ukraine.

The military advances have been described as “the most consequential of the Ukraine War” as Russia’s grip on northeast Ukraine was decimated. It’s been estimated that Ukrainian forces broke through 50km past Russian lines in the counterpunch.

The three cities of Izium, Kupiansk and Balaklyia were recaptured, as well as at least 30 towns, in a stunning blow that Moscow was reportedly not expecting.

Ukrainian armed forces said Monday they had recaptured more than 20 settlements in the past 24 hours amid a large counter-offensive.

“In the past 24 hours, Ukrainian armed forces drove the enemy away from more than 20 settlements” and are regaining “full control over them” the Ukrainian army said in its daily briefing.

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An abandoned Russian military vehicle is loaded on a trailer during the Ukarinian Army counteroffensive in Kharkiv region. Picture: AFP

Troops also liberated Vasylenkovo and Artemivka in the Kharkiv region, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address on Saturday.

“These last days, the Russian army has shown us its best [side] – its back,” he said. “There is no place in Ukraine for the occupiers. There never will be.”

Today is one of the greatest days in modern history 🇺🇦

— Illia Ponomarenko 🇺🇦 (@IAPonomarenko) September 10, 2022

.@ZelenskyyUa
Service members of the 14th Mechanized Brigade of #UAarmy liberated the village of Chkalovske, Kharkiv region. pic.twitter.com/rNTqP6n1T3

— Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU) September 11, 2022

‘Astonishing’ advance

There was no official confirmation that Kyiv’s troops had also routed Russian forces from Izyum – an important staging ground for Russia’s war effort with a population of around 45,000 people before the invasion.

But images flooding social media appeared to show Ukrainian forces within the city and Russian observers of the conflict said there were initial reports Moscow’s army had already withdrawn.

Firefighters extinguish a blaze after a Russian air strike hit a house in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Picture: Metin Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

An attack that cut off Russia’s supply line reportedly made the city undefendable, forcing the Russian armed forces in the area to flee in a “rout”.

Russia first said it was reinforcing the Kharkiv region but on Saturday announced it was pulling back troops to the Donetsk region further south.

Military expert Dr Mike Martin wrote on Twitter: “Once they get there they have to contend with the loss of Izyum and Kupyansk – the two railway hubs for that side of the country.

“The Russian armed forces have been demonstrated, again, to be utterly terrible.”

As the Russian forces withdrew, Ukrainian investigators reportedly discovered bodies with signs of torture, likely victims killed by occupying Russian forces.

Two bodies were found with signs of tortures in liberated village, Kharkiv region. These men were tortured and shot in their heads.

Civilian was forced to bury them in a private yard.

Sadly, I fear we'll hear many more of these stories.

📷: Kharkiv regional prosecutor's office pic.twitter.com/nSsUZ7FtIE

— Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) September 11, 2022

Citizens thank Ukrainian soldiers on September 11. Picture: Twitter

Women embrace Ukrainian soldiers in Balakliia, a city in Kharkiv. Picture: Twitter

Ukraine’s foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said: “Ukrainian troops are advancing in eastern Ukraine, liberating more cities and villages. Their courage coupled with Western military support brings astonishing results.

“It’s crucial to keep sending arms to Ukraine. Defeating Russia on the battlefield means winning peace in Ukraine,” he said.

Ukraine’s push appears to have caught Russian troops largely off guard. One day before Russia announced its three-day operation to redeploy forces from Kharkiv to the industrial Donbas region further south, it said it was dispatching reinforcements to Kharkiv.

State media on Friday published footage of Russian tanks, artillery and support vehicles moving towards Kharkiv in columns on dirt roads.

The blue areas show Ukrainian counteroffensives. Picture: ISW

The war in Ukraine is not going well for Russia.

‘Frightening’

The capture of urban hubs like Kupiansk and Izyum would be a serious blow to Russia’s ability to resupply its positions on the eastern frontline, and could see Russia’s hold over the east severely diminished.

In one village captured by the advancing Ukrainians, electric pylons were toppled, cables lay across the ground and houses were gutted, AFP journalists reported.

On the road towards the recaptured town of Balakliya, the journalists saw abandoned Russian armour painted with the letter “Z” – a symbol of Russia’s invasion.

Ukrainian troops were also advancing along portions of the southern front line, a spokesman said on Saturday, in some regions by dozens of kilometres, into territory captured by Russian troops at the beginning of the invasion.

Russian news agencies meanwhile reported six large explosions in Nova Kakhovka, a town held by Russian troops in the southern Kherson region.

Meanwhile in the eastern Donetsk region, rebel leader Denis Pushilin said the situation in the town of Lyman was “very difficult” and that there was also fighting in “a number of other localities,” particularly in the northern part of the region.

A map showing recent liberations around the Kharkiv frontline.

‘We will stand by Ukraine’

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock arrived in the Ukrainian capital on Saturday for a surprise visit, which she said was to demonstrate Berlin’s support for Ukraine.

It came a week after Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmygal’s trip to Berlin where he repeated Kyiv’s call for weapons.

Ms Baerbock pledged continued “deliveries of weapons, and with humanitarian and financial support”.

Over recent weeks Germany has sent an array of arms to Kyiv, supplementing other Western-supplied weapons that observers say have hurt Russia’s supply and command abilities.

Ms Baerbock’s visit follows one by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, during which he promised a nearly $3 billion military package for Ukraine.

Ukrainian forces in Izyum.

In a meeting in Brussels with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, Mr Blinken said Russia’s push to send reinforcements showed Moscow was paying “huge costs” in its bid to capture and then hold Ukrainian territory.

However, Russian forces were still inflicting serious damage with a campaign of shelling in Kharkiv city and the industrial region of Donbas in the east.

The head of the Kharkiv region, Oleg Synegubov, said Russian shelling on Saturday on the Kholodnogirskiy district of the city had left at least one person dead and two injured.

Earlier, Pavlo Kyrylenko, the head of the Donetsk region, which is part of Donbas, said Russian shelling had left two dead.

Concerns have also been rising in recent days over fresh shelling near Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in the south of the country.

The International Atomic Energy Agency said recent attacks near the plant had compromised the safe operation of the facility.

French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with Mr Zelensky on Saturday and said the situation at the plant was “worrying,” according to the Elysee.

In a tweet, Zelensky said during the call he had repeated Kyiv’s position that the site should be demilitarised.

– with AFP