Ukraine’s remarkable fight-back

Ukrainian armed forces have recaptured 3,000 sq km of occupied territory in the east of the country in recent days, a development that raises questions about the viability and morale of Russia’s forces. There are also concerns this evening about how President Putin might respond in the wake of such a humiliation.

It is is a remarkable military achievement by the Ukrainians. Russian forces – reportedly outnumbered eight to one – have been pushed back, in some cases as far as the Russian border. Ukraine says it retook 20 villages on Sunday, as well as taking Russian munitions and military hardware which had been abandoned.

In what feels like the first proper admission that the war is not going well for Russia, commentators on state TV have expressed concerns. One warned that “this has been the toughest week so far,” in Russia’s “special military operation.”

“It was particularly tough along the Kharkiv front, where following an onslaught by enemy forces that outnumbered ours, troops were forced to leave towns they had previously liberated,” conceded anchor Dmitry Kiselev.

Russian “patriotic” bloggers have attacked the military, accusing it of making mistakes, as has the Chechnyan leader Ramzan Kadyrov.

“I will be forced to speak with the leadership of the defence ministry and the leadership of the country to explain the real situation on the ground to them,” Kadyrov said.

Swathes of Russian soldiers are reportedly fleeing the front line, changing into civilian clothes to avoid detection – “We are totally f—ed,” read one intercepted communication. Pictures are also emerging of Russian armoured vehicles and tanks abandoned on the sides of roads and in fighting positions.

Scores of Russian shells and ammunition have also fallen into the hands of advancing Ukrainian forces.

While Ukrainian forces are also advancing around Kherson, the main counter-offensive is concentrated in Kharkiv, in the north-east of the country.

The Ukrainian offensive has led to the recapturing of Izyum and Kupiansk – two towns that act as major supply hubs for Russian forces in the Donbas – apparently due to the diversion of too many Russian troops to Kherson.

With the success of its counter offensive though, Ukraine is now likely to face a vicious response from Russia.

On Sunday, there were blackouts in Kharkiv, affecting millions of Ukrainians, due to Russian attacks on infrastructure. Although power was quickly restored, settlements across the region were left with no access to water or electricity on Sunday evening.

Russia will undoubtedly step up its shelling campaign against civilians and military targets in Ukraine, but if the counterattack can maintain momentum, Putin could be in even deeper trouble.

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