KIEV — Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has delivered “excellent news”, claiming the recapture of a number of cities from Russia.
Rumors have swirled for days a few doable breakthrough within the jap Kharkiv area, however with no phrase from Ukrainian officers.
Zelensky declined to call which cities had been retaken, saying that “now will not be the time to call” them.
US officers stated Ukraine was making “sluggish however significant progress” in opposition to Russian forces.
Talking in his nightly video handle to Ukrainians, President Zelensky stated there was “excellent news” concerning the rumored success of Ukrainian troops.
“I believe each citizen feels happy with our troopers,” he stated, naming particular army items and applauding their bravery in fight.
However he stated: “Now will not be the time to call the settlements to which the Ukrainian flag returns”.
Ukraine has tightened its operational safety in latest weeks, sharing few particulars a few broadly anticipated counter-offensive within the east and south.
Ukrainian troopers have launched an offensive southeast of Kharkiv, in the direction of the jap area of Donetsk, over which Russia has maintained substantial army management for the reason that conflict started six months in the past.
Some experiences counsel Ukrainian forces could also be just a few dozen kilometers from the town of Izyum, an essential hyperlink in Russia’s army provide chain.
Talking at an occasion in the USA, Colin Kahl — the Underneath-Secretary of Protection for Coverage — recommended that Ukrainian forces had been performing higher than Russia in some areas.
“It’s early days. I believe the Ukrainians are making sluggish however significant progress. And we’ll see how issues pan out,” he was quoted by Reuters information company as saying.
“However I definitely suppose issues are going higher on the Ukrainian facet proper now within the south than is true on the Russian facet.”
The scenario, nevertheless, stays fraught.
In its nightly replace, the Ukrainian Common Employees stated on Thursday that it had “repelled all Russian assaults” within the Kharkiv and Donetsk areas — however that either side continued to trade artillery and air strikes, damaging a dozen completely different locations. — BBC
