Kharkiv offensive: Russian forces retreat as Ukraine takes key towns

BBC ^ | 10 September 2022 | Hugo Bachega

[Cronos]

Russian forces have withdrawn from key eastern towns, as a rapid Ukrainian counter-attack makes further gains.

Ukrainian officials said troops entered Kupiansk, a vital eastern supply hub for Russian forces, on Saturday.

Russia's defence ministry then said its troops have retreated from nearby Izyum to allow them "to regroup".

The ministry also confirmed the withdrawal of troops from a third key town, Balaklyia, in order to "bolster efforts" on the Donetsk front.

The Ukrainian advances - if held - would be the most significant since Russia withdrew from areas around Kyiv in April.

Izyum was a major military hub for the Russians, and was subject to intense fighting in the early stages of the invasion.

"A three-day operation was carried out on the drawdown and organised transfer of the Izyum-Balakliya group of troops to the territory of the Donetsk People's Republic," the Russian statement said.

"In order to prevent damage to the Russian troops, a powerful fire defeat was inflicted on the enemy."

Shortly afterwards, the chief administrator of Russian-controlled parts of the Kharkiv region recommended that its residents evacuate to Russia "to save lives", according to the Russian state-run TASS news agency.

And the governor of the neighbouring Belgorod region, in Russia, said mobile catering, heating, and medical assistance would be available to people queuing to cross the border.

...Elsewhere, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock arrived in Kyiv on Saturday in a surprise visit, which she said was to demonstrate Berlin's commitment to Ukraine's defence.

"I have travelled to Kyiv today to show that they can continue to rely on us," Ms Baerbock said.

[Cronos]

Strategic regrouping for the special operation. Next a regrouping in Moscow?

[marcusmaximus]

[Walrus]

Yada, yada, yada

[1forest1]

We need to convince Putin he can still win this if only he sends a couple thousand more tanks.

AHAHAHAHA

[Alter Kaker]

The pro-Kremlin FR tankies have gotten awfully quiet in the last few days… wonder if the rubles dried up.

[Eleutheria5]

I wonder how high up it will go. It seems that real generals beat corrupt idiot generals. Whodathunk? Feeling nervous, Millie?

[struggle]

Well if you look at the attack, it looks like one large group of Ukrainians are getting pulled into a pincer.

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

It's rather odd. I'm sure some are paid, and so have to wait for some form of guidance as to the preferred response.

But I think a lot of them aren't paid, and just don't really have anything to add at this point because they actually believed what they were saying, and so don't have a response to this.completely unexpected development. I saw an attempt at "this is a Russian trap for the Ukrainians", but that looks like wishful thinking at this point.

It's a major loss.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

—> The pro-Kremlin FR tankies have gotten awfully quiet in the last few days…

I can’t speak for any pro-Kremlin FReepers sine I haven’t met one.

I can say as someone who believes the homoglobalists are the biggest threat, I’m rooting against them.

As for being quiet… who knows how this will resolve itself. Seemed to soon for Zelensky to claim success and too soon to say the entire conflict has changed.

Time will tell. I’ll watch and look to see how much of this is true and what happens next.

I only wish europe would man up and handle this entirely.

[Theoria]

'Ukrainians are getting pulled into a pincer. '

Does a vast pincer work these days in the era of Western intel provided realtime to Ukrainian forces? Does it look like the Russians are using some grand strategy as of late?

[Dogbert41]

There’s the story about a cornered rat.

[ifinnegan]

You never met yourself?

[Oscar in Batangas]

How do you say,
“Don’t let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya” in Ukrainian?

[JonPreston]

Polish Propaganda

[PIF]

I can’t speak for any pro-Kremlin FReepers sine I haven’t met one.

—
If you are not pro-Ukraine, you are pro-Pootie Toot - try a mirror yet?

[Dogbert41]

Yes, you’re correct. NATO is running the show. Isn’t that one of the reasons for the special operation? NATO THE HELL OUT OF UKRAINE?

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

Well, if the Russians had large armored/mobile formations in reserve and ready to go, cutting off the penetration at the shoulders would make sense. But that doesn't seem to be the case.

In fact, even the pro-Russian folks were acknowledging that Russian advances had become dependent on massive artillery bombardments followed by an infantry slog. That is not great counter-attack material.

The Ukrainians almost certainly have better battlefield intelligence, augmented in particular by U.S. and Western satellites and ELINT. That means they likely have a very good sense of whether or not Russia has sufficient mech forces available to pull of that kind of counterattack. Bottom line is that I wouldn't get my hopes up.

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

Does a vast pincer work these days in the era of Western intel provided realtime to Ukrainian forces?

Bingo. I think that's a massively underappreciated component to Ukrainian resilience.

[struggle]

I have no idea what’s going on, but the way the Russian army has entrenched artillery on the corners of the bubble the Ukraine’s rushing into makes it look like they could quickly close the gap and then make that bubble a turkey shoot.

This is probably why they’ve told everyone inside to evacuate.

[Bruce Campbells Chin]

“Syrian Girl’s” military credentials must be impressive.