US think tank the Institute for the Study of War [ISW] said Ukraine had seized up to 150 square miles in the eastern region on Tuesday and Wednesday and advanced at least 13 miles deep into Russian-controlled territory north of Izyum toward Kupyanskisk. The gains follow Russia sending troops to counter a Ukrainian offensive in the southern Kherson region, whose Russian-held capital is a strategic prize for both sides. President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly speech on Wednesday that “this week we have good news from the Kharkiv region,” adding that “every citizen feels proud of our warriors.” Above, Ukrainian firefighters work on heavily damaged buildings after the latest Russian missile attack in Kharkiv on September 6, 2022. A map shared on social media purported to show where Ukraine has taken back ground from the Russians amid of their counterattack. Associated Press He said that the greater the losses of Russia, “the more reliable will be the defense of Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv and the cities of the Dnipropetrovsk region” and that “the faster we will be able to liberate the Azov region and the entire south.” . While he paid tribute to his country’s 25th Airborne Brigade, 92nd Separate Mechanized Brigade and 80th Airborne Assault Brigade, he did not name the settlements that had been recaptured, according to Ukraine’s secrecy about the counteroffensive. However, the Ukraine War Map Twitter account shared an image naming the places where Kiev forces had made gains. Updates: 🇺🇦 Forces continued their advance on Kharkiv ob. and have liberated the following settlements: Semenivka, Volokhiv Yar, Vovchi Yar, Kalinivka, Yakovenkove, Bayrak and Nova Khusarivka. pic.twitter.com/UGqPW43J1e — Ukraine War Map (@War_Mapper) September 8, 2022 The message to his nearly 150,000 followers said Ukrainian forces “continued their advance on Kharkiv [region] and liberated the following settlements: Semenivka, Volokhiv Yar, Vovtsi Yar, Kalinivka, Yakovenkove, Bayrak and Nova Khusarivka.” In a subsequent tweet he said that “southeast of Bakhmut, Russian forces have taken control of the settlement of Kodema.” Newsweek has reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry for comment. Despite reported gains by Ukrainian forces, the city of Kharkiv was the scene of Russian shelling that killed two people and left five wounded, regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said on his Telegram channel. Meanwhile, in Sloviansk, also in the east, three bodies were recovered from a building that had been bombed by Russian forces. In its daily briefing, the UK Ministry of Defense said on Thursday that Ukrainian troops likely destroyed a military bridge at Darivka, a crossing point across the Dnieper River from Kherson. It added that Ukraine managed to “put pressure on Russian forces as they try to contain Ukrainian attacks.” US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken made a surprise trip to Kyiv on Thursday as the United States unveiled nearly $2.7 billion in new military aid to Ukraine. Blinken met with Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and visited a children’s hospital where those wounded by Russian bombing were being treated.
