The Russia-Ukraine war seems to have taken a favourable turn for Ukraine after seven months of continuous fighting. Earlier this week, Ukraine claimed that it regained control of the Kharkiv region and reclaimed areas seized by Moscow in the early days of the war.
Here are the top developments of the story:
– In the midst of Russian forces abandoning their posts, Britain’s defence ministry on Thursday said that Ukrainian forces continue to consolidate their control of newly liberated areas of Kharkiv Oblast.
(1/4) Ukrainian forces continue to consolidate their control of newly liberated areas of Kharkiv Oblast. Russian forces have largely withdrawn from the area west of the Oskil River.
— Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) September 15, 2022
The ministry in its daily intelligence bulletin on Twitter said Russian forces have largely withdrawn from the area west of the Oksil river. High-value equipment abandoned by retreating Russian forces included capabilities essential to enable Russia’s artillery-centric style of warfare, the tweet added.
– Meanwhile, Oleksii Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine’s national security and defence council, said Russian losses are 9 to 10 times higher than Ukrainian losses during its counteroffensive. In an interview with Ukraine’s Channel 24, he added that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are breaking military stereotypes and surprising foreign partners with the quality of their work.
– As Ukrainian forces continue to consolidate areas in the Kharkiv region, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said towns and villages recaptured from Russian forces had been devastated. The president added that Ukrainian forces have recaptured around 8,000 square km (3,100 square miles), apparently all in the northeastern region of Kharkiv.
– Despite the recent wins, trouble did not end for Ukrainians as Russia fired eight cruise missiles at the Karachuniv Reservoir Dam in Kryvyi Rih, the largest city in central Ukraine. The missile strike destroyed the water pumping station and caused the Inhulets River to break through a dam, officials said.
– Meanwhile, on the Russian side, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping are set to hold a discussion on Ukraine and Taiwan at a meeting in Uzbekistan on Thursday. The Russian government said the meeting would hold “special significance”.
Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan September 15, 2022. (Reuters photo)
The two leaders will be in Samarkand to attend a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a regional security group. They will also hold a three-way meeting with Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh.
(With input from Reuters)
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