The Ukrainian army in the north of Kharkiv -Critical winter, says Zelensky

Ukrainian forces are advancing north of Kharkiv, in addition to the south and east, a day after their surprise territorial gains forced the Russians to abandon their main stronghold in the area.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the advance, seeing it as a potential turning point in the war and asserting that winter could bring more territorial gains if Kyiv received more powerful equipment.

“In the Kharkiv region, we began to advance not only to the south and east but also to the north. 50 km to the border (with Russia)” assured the head of the army, general Valery Zaluzny. According to the general, the country’s armed forces have recaptured more than 3,000 square kilometers since the beginning of the month.

From Moscowthe Ministry of Defense claimed that Russian forces were striking Ukrainian army positions in the Kharkiv region with precision strikes by airborne units, missiles and artillery.

The withdrawal from the city of Izium marks the worst defeat for Russian forces since they left the outskirts of Kiev in March.

The Ukrainian victories are politically important for Zelensky as he tries to keep Europe united on Ukraine’s side – and to supply it with weapons and money – even as an energy crisis looms over the winter due to limited supplies of European consumers with Russian natural gas.

“I believe that this winter is a turning point and may lead to the rapid liberation of Ukraine. We see how (occupation forces) are leaving in certain areas. If we were a little stronger in terms of weaponry, we could be freed fasterZelensky said at a political forum.

Britain’s Ministry of Defense also said today that fighting continues around Izium and Kupyansk, the only rail hub supplying the Russian front line in northeastern Ukraine. As it marks 200 days since the start of the war, Ukraine has spoken of Russian missile and airstrikes overnight. Bombardment also continues in the east and south.

The governor of the Donetsk region Pavlo Kirilenko said that 10 civilians were killed during the night. Further south, nine people were injured in Mykolife.

On the other hand, the governor of Russia’s Belgorod province, which borders Ukraine, said “thousands of people” had crossed the border to escape the fighting in the Kharkiv region. Most of them found shelter with relatives and friends living in Russia, according to Vyacheslav Gladkov. “Today, 1,342 people are accommodated in 27 temporary accommodation centers in the area. In general, the situation is under control,” he assured, explaining that after noon there were no longer long lines of people at the border, unlike yesterday’s “difficult night,” as he described it.

RES-EMP

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