“Enemy runs away” – Experts: counteroffensive goes better than expected

The counteroffensive is like a snowball bouncing off a slope, Reznikov told the Financial Times. It is now important to secure the recaptured area against a possible counter-attack by Russian troops on the thinned Ukrainian supply lines. Australian military expert and retired General Mick Ryan expressed surprise at the unexpected success of Ukraine’s counterattacks, but warned against premature celebrations. Ukraine won the battle for the Kharkiv Oblast, but it was still too early for words of triumph, Ryan, who regularly analyzes the course of the war, emphasizes on Twitter. The Russians can still respond. “Ukrainians have won an important victory, but the war is yet to be won.”

“Good planning and leadership”
In recent days, Kharkiv Oblast has delivered outstanding weapons performance, “supported by good planning, intelligence, leadership and, most importantly, by the courage of the Ukrainian armed forces on the battlefield,” the ex-Australian general wrote. He attributes the success of the Kiev troops mainly to their good training. Ryan sees obvious flaws in the leadership of the Russian armed forces. The result: “The enemy collapses and runs away”. Over the weekend, Russia suffered some of its worst setbacks in the war that has been going on for more than half a year. Crucial supply nodes had to be abandoned.

Chaos and panic erupted among the Russians, Colonel Markus Reisner, head of the development department at Theresa’s military academy, said in an interview with APA. You can tell by the fact that they left heavy weapons behind. The Ukrainians drove into the villages with small mobile units and hoisted the Ukrainian flag. The Russians got the impression that they were surrounded and ran away. There are always moments like this in military history. “The Ukrainians chose the weakest point for the offensive and attacked not the elite units, but the conscript units of the Donbass,” Reisner explained.

Troops left equipment behind
Britain’s Defense Ministry, citing intelligence, said Russia may have ordered the withdrawal of troops from all previously occupied areas west of the Oskil River in the Kharkiv region. Thousands of Russian soldiers had recently left their positions due to the surprisingly rapid advance of Ukrainian troops, leaving behind large amounts of ammunition and equipment.

Vitaly Gantchev, a Russian-installed governor in the occupied territories of Kharkiv, admitted on Russian state television on Monday that Ukrainians had taken settlements in the north of the region. They deployed eight times as many soldiers as Russia and its pro-Russian allies had stationed in the area. “The situation is getting worse by the hour,” he said. About 5,000 civilians were taken to safety in Russia. The Ukrainian border with the Russian region of Belgorod is now closed.

Also successful in the south
The Ukrainian army also reported successes from southern Ukraine on Monday. According to its own statements, the Ukrainian army has recaptured about 500 square kilometers there. The troops advanced several kilometers in different sectors, the spokeswoman for the southern military command, Natalia Humeniuk, said. Five settlements were recaptured in the Kherson region. More than 3,000 square kilometers of occupied territory have been recaptured since the beginning of September, according to the Ukrainian army. There was especially land gain around the second largest Ukrainian city of Kharkov. From Kharkov, the Ukrainian army also moves south and east.

Meanwhile, the Russian leadership announced Monday that it plans to continue the war against the neighboring country, despite the recent failures. “The special military operation will continue,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, “until the goals initially set are achieved.” Peskov was only evasive when journalists asked him whether the Russian military leadership still enjoyed the confidence of Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin.