The Ukrainian Counteroffensive
Ukraine is recapturing territory, but for how long?
The war in Ukraine is not going well for Russia. What many expected to be a quick and decisive victory has turned out to be a slog. But it isn’t merely a question of Russia making slow progress. Ukraine is conducting an ongoing counteroffensive, which has been successful thus far.
Announced on August 29 by Ukrainian President Vlodoymr Zelenskyy, this counteroffensive has resulted in Ukraine reclaiming thousands of miles of territory previously lost to the Russians.
Let’s take a look at two of Ukraine’s recent wins.
Kherson On September 30, Russia annexed four regions, including the Kherson Oblast. Two days later, Ukrainian troops broke into Kherson and reclaimed a number of towns, including Davydiv Brid. Ukraine's deputy interior minister Yevhen Enin has claimed that in Kherson alone 50 towns and villages were reclaimed and roughly 3,500 citizens ‘freed’. While the city of Kherson remains under Russian control, Ukrainian troops are reportedly encountering minimal resistance on their way there.
Lyman Zelenskyy announced on Sunday that Ukrainian troops had encircled and then captured the town of Lyman, located in Ukraine’s Donetsk region. Russian troops were previously ordered to retreat, a decision that garnered considerable criticism from top pro-Russian figures. One can understand why, given that Lyman was of great logistical importance to the Russians, who were using its rail hub to transport troops, weapons, and supplies.
The facts above make it clear that Ukrainian troops are successfully recapturing land both in the south and the east. This isn’t to say that Russia has lost the war. But it is worth pointing out that Russia is currently losing ground.
Many have argued that Russia’s underperformance can be chalked up to the fact that it’s been fighting with one hand tied behind its back. There is truth to this. Thus far Russia has conducted a special military operation, which limits the scale and scope of its actions in Ukraine.
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