Ukrainian forces have recaptured “about 2,000 square kilometers” of territory from the Russians since early September. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video message on Telegram on Saturday evening. On Sunday morning, the Ukrainian army command spoke of 3,000 square kilometers of land retaken.
The message came after a busy day with reports of Russian withdrawals. The counterattack seems to be getting stronger.
The Ukrainian High Command announced Thursday that 1,000 square kilometers have been restored since September. It’s unclear if Zelensky is also talking about square miles. In this case, you will reach an area the size of the province of Limburg.
Russia announced, on Saturday, that it will withdraw its forces from Izyum and Palaklia in the Kharkiv region. According to the Russians, this is a tactical withdrawal and the troops will head to the nearby Donetsk region, where fierce fighting is taking place. Earlier in the day, Ukraine stated that it had regained the strategically important position of Kobyansk, also in the Kharkiv region.
Zelensky called it a “wise decision” by the Russians to withdraw. “There is no place for the occupiers in Ukraine, and there never will be,” the president said. The Russian Army is showing its best side these days: its back.
The front line in eastern Ukraine on September 9.
The front line in eastern Ukraine on September 9.
