When Ukrainian forces invaded the city of Izium on Saturday, it was more than a major military victory. It was a sign that the war in Ukraine could be entering a new phase, with Russian troops struggling to hold territory they have seized over the past six months. Just five days after Ukrainian forces launched a fresh offensive east through the Kharkiv region, Russian forces were forced to flee the strategically important city to the east. a spokesman for the Bohun Brigade of Ukraine's Ground Forces said in a statement Saturday afternoon.
In the past five days, Ukrainians have seen the most ambitious ground attacks since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in late February.
A senior US official said Ukrainian forces had successfully attacked Russian supply lines with the aim of cutting and isolating Russian troops west of the Dnipro River. Saturday's rapid progress did not end with Izium, as Ukraine appeared to have opened a new front against Russian defenses on the borders of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
Luhansk Regional Military Administration chief Serhiy Hayday pointed out that the city of Lysychansk was the target of a new attack.
Lysyhansk is the last city in the Luhansk region of eastern Ukraine that came under Russian control in July, after weeks of fierce fighting. Hayday also revealed that on Saturday "the invaders, including collaborators and soldiers, fled in a hurry."
"The locals have videos and photos to prove it," Hayday said. But he said visual evidence could not be shared for security reasons.
Oleksiy Reznikov, Ukraine's defense minister, said on Saturday that Ukraine's allies were "stunned" by recent military successes.
At the end of the meeting of the Ukrainian Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Reznikov said: "Ukrainian partners are positively surprised by the dynamics of the activities of our armed forces" in the south and east of the country.
Russian reinforcements
As Russian forces struggle to counter Ukrainian advances in the east, Moscow is trying to strengthen its contending military units there. Video footage by Russian military journalist Yevgeniy Poddubny on Friday showed Russian helicopters arriving in the area and at least one unloading an armored vehicle.
Poddubny reported on Friday that the Russian military headquarters used Mi-26 helicopters to reinforce units in Kharkiv with men and armored vehicles and deployed reserve troops in both Kupyansk and Izium.
But the reinforcements didn't seem to have helped. great strategic victory for Kyiv, both Izium and Kupyansk were recaptured.
Izium, located near the border between Kharkiv and Donetsk regions, was under Russian occupation for more than five months and became an important center for the invading army. Russia used Izium as a launching pad for attacks south into the Donetsk region and Kupyansk region, some 30 miles north of Izium, as a rail hub to resupply its forces.
Several videos of Ukrainian troops standing at the Izium sign at the entrance to the city have been posted on Telegram.
A piece of was allegedly filmed by a reconnaissance unit of Ukraine's 25th Parachute Brigade. A voice can be heard in the video saying, "We're in Izium."
It will all be Ukraine. Our flag is already there. Kyiv said its forces had also cut off a key Russian supply line through the Kharkiv region and were moving east. At the same time, the Ukrainian military said casualties were inflicted on Russian forces in the Kherson region of southern Ukraine.
Even the Russian-backed authorities in Izium had to admit to retreating on Saturday. The head of the pro-Russian administration of the city of Izium, Vladislav Sokolov, was quoted by the Russian state news agency RIA as saying that the situation in Izium is "very difficult".
Sokolov was later quoted by the Russian state news agency TASS as saying: "We have begun evacuations, albeit slowly, but we took them as far as possible to the territory of the Russian Federation."
Kirill Imashev, military correspondent of the Russian Telegram channel Readovka, said that the Russian armed forces had left Kupyansk and retreated across the Oskil River to "regroup", but claimed that the townspeople "had left their homes because of them
fear of reprisals from the Kyiv regime."
"Hundreds of cars are leaving Kupyansk for the LPR [the self-proclaimed Lugansk People's Republic]," he said.
Evidence available on social media shows that civilians in the liberated areas have welcomed Ukrainian forces with enthusiasm. Ukrainian officials have promised that anyone collaborating with the occupying forces will face criminal penalties.
Ukraine said some Russian troops are now deserting due to "significant casualties" they have suffered. The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said Friday that at least 15 defectors had taken place.
He said the soldiers removed their uniforms and changed into civilian clothes to remain inconspicuous as they attempted to return to Russian territory, he said
Meanwhile, Moscow tried to paint a different picture of the Ukrainian advance. In its first reaction to the advances made by the Ukrainian armed forces in recent days, the Russian Defense Ministry said that “the decision has been made to regroup Russian troops in the Balakleya and Izyum areas and to redirect their efforts towards DONETSK.
Advance of Ukrainian troops have reported scenes of destruction as they retake areas from Russian control.
The head of the military administration of the Kharkiv region of, Oleh Syniehubov, said he recently toured liberated areas where the Russians "destroyed infrastructure and houses, lots of trophies and heaps of rubbish" and posted photos of the scenes on Telegram.
"People, without exaggeration, welcomed our soldiers with tears in their eyes," said Syniehubov. “The residents obviously need help. Most villages have no electricity and no gas. In the near future we will rehabilitate them and bring humanitarian aid End of war is currently "impossible" while he was at the annual European strategy meeting in Yalta in Kyiv on Saturday.
"The Russians are not ready to admit that they have occupied our country. This means that there will be no substantive dialogue," Zelenskyy said. "In order for us to open a diplomatic corridor with [Russia], they must show political will that they are willing to give foreign lands back.
