Ukraine seems to be going from strength to strength in the Kharkiv region, and Kherson is also making progress. Numerous towns are said to have been recaptured. Western supporters pledge further military and humanitarian aid to the country. Ukraine’s economy, however, is in a shipwreck. The 197th day of the war at a glance:
Ukraine advances further behind Russian lines
The armed forces of Ukraine are said to have advanced up to 50 kilometers behind enemy lines in the Balakliya district of the Kharkiv region. As a result of the raid-like attacks, around 20 towns were recaptured. This was reported by the representative of the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Oleksiy Hromov. Around 700 square kilometers have already been recaptured, it said. It is unclear which towns these are. In the last few days, at least the liberation of Werbiwka and Bairak has been reported. There were also claims that Russian troops had withdrawn from the village of Balaklija. The latter now seems confirmed. There was also a report that the Ukrainian troops had also taken Shevchenkove further north. The place with once 7000 inhabitants is located on an important connecting road in the direction of Kupjansk. The city, in turn, is important for supplying Russian troops in Donbass.
Russians are already rescuing family members from Kupyansk
According to their own statements, after the start of the Ukrainian counter-offensive, the Russian occupiers already brought women and children out of the city of Kupyansk. “The situation in the city of Kupyansk today is such that we are simply forced to ensure the evacuation of the population – at least women and children – because the city is exposed to rocket attacks by the Ukrainian military units,” says the head of the military administration installed by Russia , Vitaly Gantchev, according to the state news agency Tass.
Ukrainian troops are also reporting success in Cherson
But the Ukrainian troops are not only celebrating successes in the north-east of the country. Apparently they were also successful in Cherson. According to Russian media reports, Ukrainian troops are about to break through a Russian defense line there. Accordingly, they are said to have achieved success in the village of Posad Pokrowske. The village was last held by the 20th Motorized Brigade of the Russian Armed Forces. Success would be important for Ukraine because the town is on an important road that leads directly to Kherson. From Posad Pokrowske it is only about 30 kilometers to the regional capital Cherson.
Fighting flares up again near Zaporizhia
Ukraine had previously reported heavy fighting near the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. The military general staff said in the morning that in the past 24 hours there had been attacks on villages and towns, including with tanks and grenade launchers. The head of the Dnipro regional council Mykola Lukashuk wrote on Telegram that the city of Nikopol was shelled by Russian troops from the city of Enerhodar. In Enerhodar is the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, which is controlled by Russian troops but operated by Ukrainian technicians. The Russian troops are said to have fired rockets at numerous towns the night before. According to the local authorities, seven civilians were killed in the Donetsk region and five people were injured in the Kharkiv area. At least eleven buildings were damaged in the Zaporizhia region, Governor Valentyn Resnichenko wrote on Telegram. There were no reports of injuries here.
US Secretary of Defense Austin speaks of “key moment”
Even though many of the successes of the Ukrainian troops only became known during the course of the day, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in advance in Germany: “The war has reached a key moment.” Therefore, the Ukraine contact group must also reposition itself. Austin started the contact group in Ramstein in April. In addition to the USA, it also includes Germany and Great Britain as well as other NATO countries. It is to coordinate military support to Ukraine. The Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov also took part in the meeting.
More than a million Ukrainian civilians abducted or imprisoned
Another facet of the war is the numerous kidnappings and imprisonments of civilians by Russian soldiers. Up to 1.6 million Ukrainians, including 1,800 children, have been reportedly unlawfully detained, interrogated and forcibly taken from their homes by Russia, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield told a UN Security Council meeting. This practice is a preparation for an annexation of Ukrainian territories. The Council has determined that Ukrainian civilians are being subjected to a “filtration process” in special camps, said UN Political Affairs Director Rosemary DiCarlo. She demanded access to all detainees.
AfD politicians should become independent election observers
Allegedly, Russia is already making preparations for the planned referendums in occupied territories. In order to legitimize the alleged referendums at the international level, the Russians are said to be preparing “independent observers”. Among them are said to be two German politicians from the AfD, according to Ukrainian media. It is said to be Gunnar Lindemann, member of the Berlin House of Representatives, and Ulrich Oehme, former member of the Bundestag for the party. The AfD maintains some good connections to the Kremlin. Again and again AfD politicians traveled to Russia and met Russian politicians there. The AfD is also vehemently calling for the sanctions against Russia to be ended.
Separatist commander contradicts Kremlin account
Russia not only wants to justify the legitimacy of the referendums, but also repeatedly gives reasons for the invasion. One of them was that there were preparations in Ukraine for an attack on Russia. A commander of the self-proclaimed pro-Russian Republic of Donetsk is now contradicting this. In his Telegram channel, Alexander Khodakowski wrote that he had not yet found any evidence that Ukraine was planning an attack on Russia – Moscow claims this again and again. “Ukraine has prepared for a defensive war,” said Khodakowski. Among the documents captured by his troops after capturing Ukrainian positions, he did not find a single tactical document that provided for offensive actions. Before supporting the Donetsk separatists, Khodakovsky was head of the local anti-terrorist unit of the Ukrainian secret service SBU until 2014. He was also involved in the attempted suppression of the pro-Western protests in Kyiv in the winter of 2013/2014.
US to deliver more weapons for 675 million dollars
Despite all the military successes, Ukraine says it still needs Western weapons. The USA complied with this request and assured the country of arms worth 675 million US dollars. This was announced by US Secretary of State Austin. The new aid package includes, among other things, the delivery of additional howitzers, artillery ammunition and armored vehicles. Since April, his government has provided Ukraine with arms totaling $6.3 billion.
Germany wants to train Ukrainian minesweepers
Germany is also offering Ukraine further support. The federal government will start an anti-mine program together with the Netherlands, said Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht at the meeting of the contact group in Ramstein. 20 Ukrainian soldiers would be trained to search for and clear mines and to remove booby traps. Appropriate material will also be made available. In addition, Germany and the Netherlands prepared a winter package for the Ukrainian armed forces. These included devices for generating electricity and tents, as well as equipment for the soldiers.
The Ukrainian economy collapses massively
Ukraine not only needs military help, the war is also causing massive problems for the country economically. Due to the war, Ukrainian economic output recently collapsed by more than a third. In the second quarter of 2022, economic output fell by 37.2 percent year-on-year, according to the Ukrainian statistical office. In the first quarter, the slump was 15.1 percent. In 2021, the Ukrainian economy had grown by 3.4 percent. Large parts of southern and eastern Ukraine are occupied as a result of the Russian invasion and the country’s important export ports are blocked. The south-east Ukrainian port of Mariupol with its steelworks has been largely destroyed. Many companies have completely stopped their production.
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