The release by Ukrainian troops of Izyum, which Russia used as a supply center for its offensive in eastern Donbas, became one of the biggest failures for it since the beginning of the war, the publication writes The Washington Post, in the material on the analysis of the offensive of the Armed Forces near Kharkiv.
The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation announced on Saturday, September 10, that it withdrew troops from Balaklia and Izyuma, having decided to "regroup" and transfer them to Donetsk "to achieve the goals of a special military operation."
The stunning rout of Russian troops caused by Ukraine's sharp counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region does not in itself indicate a decisive turning point in the war in favor of Ukraine, writes the publication, Russia still occupies a significant territory of Ukraine, including the cities of Mariupol, Melitopol and Kherson, and Russian troops are still control the "land bridge" to Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.
But the Ukrainian army cut the enemy's supply lines, disrupted the Russian troops and forced the occupying power to flee.
The Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Oleksiy Reznikov, said that Ukraine is still far from triumph. "A sign of victory for me will be boarding a plane in Kharkiv and landing in Mariupol," said Reznikov, speaking at a conference in Kyiv on Saturday.
Speaking at the same conference, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Germany, Annalena Burbok, congratulated Ukraine on its success. "The troops are advancing; they're not only reclaiming territory, they're also liberating people,” Burbock said. "I think it's really a moment of hope, even though maybe it's a small moment of hope, but it's what we need."
In turn, a high-ranking official of the US Ministry of Defense called the achievements "very encouraging".
Ukraine's surprise strike in the northeastern district of Kharkiv region after the start of the counteroffensive, which drew thousands of Russian troops to the south of Kherson last week, allowed Ukraine to gain momentum in the confrontation.
Two months ago, Ukraine was forced to withdraw from the city of Lysychansk, and since then Russian artillery has made only gradual progress. But on Saturday evening, Luhansk Governor Serhiy Gaidai wrote on Twitter that Ukrainian troops had approached the outskirts of Lysychansk.
Ukrainian troops in the north-east of the country passed dozens of towns and villages within several days, sometimes advancing 30-40 kilometers in one day, paces that Russia has never achieved.
This potential can change the course of the war, military experts believe.
"This is an important development," said Rob Lee, a military analyst at the Institute for Foreign Policy Studies. "This does not mean that Russia will be pushed out of Ukraine in the near future. But the overall situation is now favorable for Ukraine, especially in the medium term," Lee said.
Russian units fled the areas, allowing Ukrainian soldiers to hoist blue and yellow flags over the newly vacated city squares and take selfies with the many boxes of ammunition and military equipment the Russians had left behind.
According to Ukrainian commanders, progress is expensive.
Anatoly Prygrusha, who led the unit in the battles for the return of the city of Balaklia, said in an interview that the battles were fierce and bloody. "It's good that the Russians escaped, but we paid with many lives," Prygrusha said.
Analysts believe that local victories could lead to broader strategic changes if the Ukrainians continue to press and gain a quick advantage.
Ukrainian troops advanced to the southeast along the M03 highway, which eventually allowed them to connect two key front theaters.
On Saturday, before the retreat of the Russians, the mayor of Izyuma said in an interview that Ukrainian troops had entered his town and were fighting Russian troops street by street with small arms and automatic weapons.
"I am speechless," said Mayor Valery Marchenko about the rapid and unexpected progress of the Armed Forces in the region. "No one expected it to happen so quickly."
The withdrawal of troops from Izyum, which Russia used as a supply hub for its offensive in eastern Donbas, was one of the biggest setbacks for Russia since it entered Ukraine in February. And since Russian troops have left Izyum, Russia's ability to fulfill its goal of seizing all of Donbas — Putin's only publicly stated goal — is now in doubt, according to Kyrylo Mykhaylov, a Kyiv analyst.
According to him, Izyum is an important command and supply center for the northern front and Russia's only major bridgehead on the right bank of the Siverskyi Donets River, and its loss would lead to the elimination of an entire front — the northern front — in Russia's attempts to take control of the Donetsk region.
Russia's confirmation of Ukraine's advancement caused fierce criticism from its supporters.
"Tonight, Moscow will salute the surrender of Balaklia, Izyum and half of Kupyansk to the enemy with 25 high-altitude salutes," Girkin wrote in Telegram.
Girkin has long warned that Russia cannot win this war without massive military mobilization, but the Kremlin is avoiding that step because it is wary of protests in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
"It's only going to get worse for Russia," said Lee, the military analyst. "For Russia, this will cause moral problems. Today, there is no good reason for Russia to believe that it can achieve something greater in Ukraine than it has already achieved."
According to a message to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valery Zaluzhny, as of the morning of September 11, the Armed Forces of Ukraine continue to liberate territories occupied by Russia. Since the beginning of September, more than 3000 sq. km returned to the control of Ukraine.
"In the Kharkiv direction, we began to advance not only to the south and east, but also to the north. There are 50 km to go to the state border. The capture of the powerful strongholds of the Russian troops, which they proudly called "Moscow", "Omsk" and "Peter", made it possible to launch a counteroffensive on Balaklia, Izyum and Kupyansk. I am proud and grateful to every Ukrainian serviceman. I am honored to fight side by side with you. Eternal memory of those who died fighting for Ukraine," wrote the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Valery Zaluzhnyi.
