Russia admits Ukrainian army is advancing rapidly near Kharkiv


by Max Hunder and Tom Balmforth

KYIV, Sept 9 (Reuters) – Ukraine’s army is continuing its recapture of Russian-occupied territory in the Kharkiv region in “very clear and very rapid” progress, a pro-Russian official said on Friday.

After remaining silent for a day after the first reports of a Ukrainian breakthrough, Moscow finally admitted that its defenses had been broken down on part of the front line southeast of Ukraine’s second largest city.

“We are slowing down the enemy as much as possible, but several villages have already come under the control of the Ukrainian armed forces,” said Vitali Gantchev, head of the pro-Russian administration in the part of the Kharkiv region controlled by Moscow.

In his ritual evening television address, Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky affirmed that the Ukrainian army had liberated around thirty villages in a few days in the Kharkiv region, and that it was also continuing its counter-offensives in the Donbass and in Kherson region.

“Our army, our intelligence units and our security services are carrying out active operations in several operational areas. They are doing it successfully,” he said.

Vitali Gantchev indicated that the pro-Russian forces were trying to evacuate the civilians who want to flee the Ukrainian advance, including from the town of Izioum, a strategic logistics node for the Russian offensive in the Donbass.

An adviser to Volodimir Zelensky, Oleksiy Arestovych, claimed in a YouTube video that Russian troops based in Izium were virtually isolated, which would be a severe setback for Moscow.

Hundreds of Russian soldiers have been killed since the front line was breached this week and hundreds more have been taken prisoner, he said, without it being possible to verify this information, such as that supplied by the Russians, no independent journalist being able to move freely in the region.

MOSCOW SAYS SEND REINFORCEMENTS

After neglecting it to reinforce the southern front, Russia announced that it had sent reinforcements to the Kharkiv region and the Ministry of Defense released a video of military vehicles moving at high speed on a highway, without anyone can tell in which direction.

The Ukrainian authorities have for their part released videos of soldiers waving the national flag in front of signposts in more towns and villages hitherto controlled by Russian forces.

One of them shows soldiers passing in front of a highway sign welcoming Kupiansk, a city which was still located 72 hours ago about fifty kilometers from the front line.

According to Western experts, the reconquest by the Ukrainian army of this railway junction would cut off important supply lines between Russia and the Donbass and would weaken the entire Russian system in the region, thousands of soldiers risking finding themselves surrounded in the Izioum sector.

Ukraine’s army hasn’t made such rapid progress since Russian troops gave up on Kyiv in March and retreated hastily towards the border.

“We see the Ukrainians having success in Kherson, we are seeing it now in Kharkiv, it’s very, very encouraging,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said during a Prague press conference.

Ukrainian army headquarters said on Friday that Russian troops were trying to take their wounded and damaged military equipment east of Kharkiv as they retreated.

The Russian army nevertheless continues to bombard the second city of Ukraine, where ten people, including three children, were injured Friday by rocket fire, said Governor Oleh Synehoubov.

A hospital was also hit in the Sumy region, according to local authorities. (French version Tangi Salan)



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