It has been reported that Ukrainian forces have retaken 6,000 kilometres of their homeland. This includes 3,000 in the last six days.
In his nightly address to his nation President Volodymyr Zilenskyy stated that the “advancement of our forces” was still ongoing.
He claims that he is supported by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a US-based think tank that provides analysis and research on defense and foreign affairs.
It stated that the Ukrainian counteroffensive to the Kharkiv region was “routing Russian troops and collapsing Russia’s northern Donbass axis”.
It continued: “Russian forces have not conducted a controlled withdrawal. They are fleeing southeastern Kharkiv Oblast, an administrative region, to escape the encirclement surrounding Izyum.”
According to a spokesperson for Ukrainian military intelligence, Russian troops surrendered en masse because they “understand the hopelessness of the situation”. A Presidential adviser had stated that there were so many prisoners-of-war that the country ran out of room to hold them.
According to some reports, the Ukrainian military has freed over 20 settlements within 24 hours.
According to the British Ministry of Defence, Kyiv’s forces have seized territory that is at least twice as large as Greater London in recent days.
“Our fighters have liberated over 6,000 km of the territory since the beginning of September, and continuing to this day.”
“Territory of Ukraine in South and East,” Zelenskyy stated in his nightly video.
He expressed gratitude for soldiers who “avanced very bravely, confidently”, and who “steadily moved forward despite all – despite features of open terrain, despite artillery from the occupiers.”
“Guys, your true heroes are you!” He added.
The momentum created by the Russian President Vladimir Putin’s victory has raised the morale of the Ukrainian people after months of no discernible movement on their battlefield.
Russian patriotic commentators and military bloggers lambasted the Kremlin’s inability to mobilize more troops and take greater action.
Russia has remained steadfast in refraining from calling its invasion of Syria a war. Instead, it describes it as a “specially military operation”.
The mood was joyful across Ukraine
Authorities in Kharkiv, which is the capital and second-largest city of the region, announced that power and water were restored to approximately 80% of the population after Russian attacks on infrastructure overnight. Many places had lost electricity.
Eyewitness – Bodies left to rot, as people describe burying neighbors – life in a liberated village
According to some reports, the Ukrainian forces pushed back all the way to the border with the north-eastern in some areas, forcing the Russians into a hasty retreat.
Reports of chaos arose as the Russian troops pulled out.
“The Russians were there in the morning. “Then, at noon, they suddenly began shouting wildly, and began to run off, charging off in tanks, armoured vehicles, and charging away,” Dmytro Hurchenko, a resident from recently-liberated Zaliznychne near the eastern frontline, told Sky News.
The Ukrainian military captured video of soldiers raising the Ukrainian flag above damaged buildings.
One scene showed a fighter wiping his boots on a Russian flag. Another video showed Ukrainians inspecting the remains of Russian military vehicles including tanks.
Officials said that Ukrainian forces were searching for any Russian troops and disarming landmines in the recaptured areas.
Experts in defense have warned that the conflict in Ukraine has been fluid over recent months.