- Ukraine now on the offensive in both the south and east
- New US military aid to Ukraine likely, White House says
- In the call, Scholz urges Putin to find a diplomatic solution soon
BALAKLIIA, Ukraine, Sept 14 (Reuters) – Ukraine has set its sights on freeing all territory occupied by invading Russian forces after pushing them back in a swift counteroffensive in the northeast, a goal that U.S. President, Joe Biden said it would be “a long haul” getting it.
In a speech on Tuesday evening, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said about 8,000 square km (3,100 square miles) had been liberated by Ukrainian forces so far this month, apparently all in the northeastern Kharkiv region.
“Stabilization measures” had been completed in about half of that territory, Zelenskiy said, “and in a liberated area of about the same size, stabilization measures are still ongoing.”
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Reuters could not immediately verify the full extent of the battlefield successes claimed by Ukraine. The total area cited by Zelenskiy is roughly the size of the Greek island of Crete.
Asked if Ukraine has reached a tipping point in the six-month war, Biden said it was hard to say.
“It is clear that the Ukrainians have made significant progress, but I think it will be a long time coming.”
The White House, which has provided billions of dollars in weapons and support, said earlier that the United States would likely announce a new military aid package for Ukraine in “the next few days.” Russian forces have left defensive positions, particularly in and around Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, a US spokesman said.
Since Moscow abandoned its main stronghold in the northeast on Saturday, marking its worst defeat since the first days of the war, Ukrainian troops have retaken dozens of towns in a stunning shift in battlefield momentum.
Russian forces still control about a fifth of Ukraine in the south and east, but Kyiv is now on the offensive in both areas.
Ukraine’s presidential adviser, Oleksiy Arestovych, raised the prospect of moving into the eastern province of Lugansk, which together with Donetsk is known as the Donbass, a major industrial region near the border with Russia.
“Now there is an assault on Lyman and there could be an advance on Siversk,” Arestovych said in a video posted on YouTube, referring to the two cities. He predicted a fight for the city of Svatovo, where he said the Russians have storage depots.
“And that’s what they fear the most: that we take Lyman and then advance to Lysychansk and Sievierodonetsk. And they would cut off Svatovo,” he said.
Denis Pushilin, leader of the Russian-led Donetsk People’s Republic, said in a video post that Lyman remains in his hands. “The situation has stabilized. The enemy is naturally trying to advance in small groups, but the allied forces (led by Russia) are completely repulsing them.”
SOLDIERS WELCOME
Speaking in the central square of Balaklia, a crucial military supply center seized by Ukrainian forces late last week, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar said 150,000 people had been freed from Russian rule in the area
Ukrainian soldiers rest on the road as they head to the front line, as Russia’s attack on Ukraine continues, in Kharkiv region, Ukraine September 13, 2022. REUTERS/Gleb Garanich
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Ukrainian flags were raised and a large crowd gathered to receive humanitarian aid packages. A shopping center had been destroyed, but many buildings remained intact, with shops closed and boarded up.
“The goal is to liberate the Kharkiv region and beyond, all the territories occupied by the Russian Federation,” Malyar said on the road to Balakliia, which is 74 km (46 miles) southeast of Kharkiv .
The road to Balakliia through liberated areas was littered with charred vehicles and destroyed military equipment. Read more
Groups of Ukrainian soldiers smoked, smiled and chatted by the side of the road. A soldier was lying on top of a tank as if it were his living room couch.
In the nearby village of Verbivka, emotional but cheerful residents, many of them of retirement age, recounted the dire existence they led during nearly seven months of Russian occupation.
“It was scary: we tried to walk less, so they would see us less,” said Tetiana Sinovaz.
Nadia Khvostok, 76, described the traumatic occupation and the arrival of Ukrainian troops, saying residents welcomed them “with tears in their eyes”.
There were abandoned Russian vehicles, including a military truck with a broken windshield.
ELECTRICAL LINES RESTORED
Meanwhile, repair crews have restored the two main power lines supplying the city of Kharkiv and its surroundings, power company Ukrenergo said after Russian shelling caused blackouts.
The government in Kyiv fears Russia will increase attacks on its energy grids as winter approaches and is calling on anti-aircraft technology from the West to protect infrastructure. Read more
With Russian forces under pressure, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz had a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday.
Scholz called on Putin to find a diplomatic solution as soon as possible, based on a ceasefire, the complete withdrawal of Russian troops and respect for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, a government spokesman said german Read more
Kharkiv regional governor Oleh Syehubov, who came to Verbivka, said authorities were trying to record the crimes committed by the Russians during their occupation of the area and recover the bodies of the victims.
“We’re asking everyone around about all the burial sites that can be found,” he said.
Moscow denies that its forces have committed atrocities in areas it controls since Putin ordered the invasion on February 24.
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Reporting by Tom Balmforth; additional reporting by Anna Voitenko and Reuters bureaus; writing by Grant McCool; Lincoln Feast Edition.
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