Ukrainian troops continue to advance. In addition to the small town of Kupyansk, they are said to have recaptured Izyum in Kharkiv. Russia responds. The news ticker.
- Surprised by offensive: Russia was not prepared for the attack at Balaklija
Putin indicted? The Ukraine war could soon have consequences for Vladimir Putin
- Editor’s note: All news about Ukraine conflict read this News ticker. The information comes partly from warring parties in the Ukraine war and cannot be directly verified independently.
+++ 4.38 p.m.: Under pressure from Ukrainian counter-offensives, Russia has announced the deployment of troops in eastern Ukraine. Soldiers should be withdrawn from the Kharkiv region, for example from the strategically important city of Izyum, said a spokesman for the Defense Ministry in Moscow on Saturday. The Ukrainian side had previously reported successful recaptures in the Kharkiv region.
Ukraine-News: Counter-offensive forces Russian army to move troops – admitted losses
+++ 2:59 p.m.: Several Russian sources report that Russian forces have withdrawn from the city of Izyum in eastern Ukraine that they are holding. The news site Readovka writes that the Russian army was forced to leave Izyum because of the Ukrainian counter-offensive. So far there has been no independent confirmation of the withdrawal. If Ukraine managed to recapture Izyum, it would be a great achievement for the Ukrainian army. Since the occupation at the end of March, the city has been considered one of the most important strongholds of the Russian occupying forces in eastern Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has confirmed the recapture of the strategically important city of Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region. The regional council publishes photos on Facebook showing Ukrainian soldiers in front of the town hall with the Ukrainian flag. Natalia Popova, Advisor to the President of the Council, writes: “Kupyansk is Ukraine. Honor to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.”
Ukraine War: Ukraine retakes strategically important city
+++ 1.49 p.m.: According to British information, after Ukrainian forces threatened the Russian occupiers in the small town of Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region, they are said to have retaken the place. Ukrainian media published a photo showing several soldiers with a Ukrainian flag.
Kupyansk is on the Russian supply lines to the Donbass front in eastern Ukraine and is therefore of particular strategic importance. Citing members of regional and local government wrote about Ukrainska Pravda: “The Ukrainian armed forces have liberated Kupyansk.” So far there is no official confirmation. If the place was actually recaptured, that would be a severe blow to Russia.
Ukraine War: Ukraine launches counter-offensive in north-east
+++ 10.12 a.m.: “Ukrainian units have captured or surrounded several locations.” The British Ministry of Defense announced in London on Saturday (September 10), citing intelligence, that Ukrainian troops have launched a counterattack on Russia. The Ukrainian spearheads have meanwhile advanced on a narrow front in the north-east up to 50 kilometers into previously Russian-occupied territory. Since there were hardly any Russian troops in the area, the ministry assumes that they were “apparently surprised”.
Russian forces around the city of Izyum are increasingly isolated and Ukrainian soldiers are advancing on the city of Kupyansk. “Their capture would be a significant blow to Russia because the supply lines for the Donbass front pass here,” London said. Ukrainian attacks also continued in the Kherson region. “The Russian defensive is under pressure on both its northern and southern flanks,” the ministry said.
Ukraine war: Massive explosions in southern Ukraine – Russia sends more troops
Update from Saturday, September 10th, 7:22 a.m.: Russia has apparently sent 1,300 Chechen fighters to Kherson to support Russian troops in the hotly contested Donetsk region, the General Staff of Ukraine’s army reported on Saturday (September 10). According to their own statements, the Ukrainian armed forces have recaptured numerous areas in the region in southern Ukraine.
According to a Facebook post by the Ukrainian General Staff at 6 a.m. Saturday morning, Russian forces are defending the occupied areas of Kherson, parts of Kharkiv, Zaporizhia and Mykolaiv. There have again been numerous airstrikes in the region. Among other things, the mayor of Melitopol, Ivan Fedorov, reported via Telegram on Friday evening (September 9) of explosions and shots in the partially occupied city. He was combative: “The Ukrainian army wishes the occupiers a ‘good night’,” wrote Fedorov on Telegram.
News in the Ukraine war: Russia wants to evacuate Kharkiv region
+++ 10.05 p.m.: After the liberation of the city of Balaklija by Ukrainian troops, Russia announced on Friday that it would soon “evacuation” the Kharkiv region. This was reported by the Russian news agency TASS, citing the regional administrator in the Kupyansk district, Maksim Gubin, appointed by Russia. Gubin said they wanted to “evacuate” the population for at least three or four days until the situation was “stabilized”. Just a few days ago, the UN Security Council accused Russia of having kidnapped hundreds of thousands of people from Ukraine to Russia.
According to information from the US think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW), experts are currently assuming that the Ukrainian armed forces will also liberate the city of Kupjansk, which had a population of 30,000 before the war, over the course of the weekend. This would massively affect a number of Russian supply routes in eastern Ukraine.
News about the Ukraine war: Russia sends reinforcements to Kharkiv
+++ 4:59 p.m.: Russia continues its attacks on Ukrainian bases. The soldiers are entrenched in the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, reports the Kyiv Independent. Kyiv accuses the Kremlin of using the nuclear power plant as a protective shield.
+++ 4:16 p.m.: According to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Russia’s war of aggression is entering a “critical phase” as a result of the Ukrainian counter-offensive. Thanks to support from NATO countries, Ukrainian armed forces were recently able to stop Moscow’s offensive in the Donbass and recapture territory, the Norwegian said at a press conference with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday (September 9). The solidarity of the West should not let up despite the energy crisis and rising living costs.
+++ 3.45 p.m.: The Russian army is sending armored vehicles and cannons to reinforce the Kharkiv region in northern Ukraine in response to the Ukrainian counter-offensive. This was reported by Russian news agencies with reference to images from the Ministry of Defense showing several military vehicles, some with Russian flags.
The Moscow-appointed chief of administration for the Kharkiv region, Vitali Gantchev, spoke of “heavy fighting” near the town of Balaklija. “We no longer have Balakliya under control,” said Ganchev. There are attempts to expel the Ukrainian armed forces. “But the fighting there is fierce and our troops are being pinned on the outskirts of the city.”
News about the Ukraine war: Kyiv successful with counter-offensive
Update from Friday, September 9, 5:20 a.m.: According to the Ukrainian army, during its counter-offensive in the east of the country it penetrated deep into the rear of the Russian occupying forces. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed on Thursday evening the recapture of the district town of Balakliya in the Kharkiv region. The army has liberated more than 1,000 square kilometers of Ukraine since early September, he said in his video address.
“As part of ongoing defensive operations, our heroes have already liberated dozens of settlements,” he said. “Ukraine is and will be free,” he promised. However, according to earlier reports, Russian troops occupied around 125,000 square kilometers in Ukraine. That’s one fifth of the country’s territory, including the Crimean peninsula.
Zelenskyi imposes further sanctions on Russia
First report from Thursday, September 8th, 7.35 a.m.: The Ukrainian army seems to be making progress in its counterattack against the Russian invaders in the east of the country. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in his video address on Wednesday (September 7) that there was “good news from the Kharkiv region”. According to reports from Russian war correspondents, the Ukrainian army has successfully advanced near the town of Balaklija and has recaptured several towns.
As a political threat to Moscow, Ukraine imposed sanctions on 606 members of the Russian leadership. “You are responsible for Russia’s war against Ukraine,” said Zelenskyy. Of the 32 members of Russia’s Security Council chaired by President Vladimir Putin, 28 were put on Ukraine’s criminal list. There are 424 out of 450 deputies in the Russian State Duma and 154 out of 170 senators in the Federation Council German Press Agency (dpa). Zelenskyj gave no details on the sanctions. Ukraine has started to enforce the penalties legally, politically and diplomatically. (nak/na/hg/vbu with dpa/afp)