Ukraine announced today, Sunday, that its forces forced Russian soldiers to retreat to strategic locations in the east of the country, where developments on the ground are accelerating, amid a Russian official talking about the flight of thousands of people and the process of withdrawal and repositioning as a result of a large-scale counter-offensive from Kyiv.

A Russian official in a southern region bordering Ukraine said today, Sunday, that thousands of people crossed the border, coinciding with Kyiv's announcement to restore strategic cities and vast areas that were in the hands of the Russians.

The governor of Belgorod region Vyacheslav Gladkov said - in a video statement posted on social media - that over the past day, thousands of people crossed the border.

Most of them drove to relatives in their own cars.

Ukraine explained that its forces are moving to retake towns and villages in the vicinity of the strategic city of Izyum, as part of a large-scale counterattack in the east of the country.

Boxes of ammunition and military equipment scattered in areas left by Russian forces in the Kharkiv region (Reuters)

While events are accelerating in the vicinity of the Kharkiv region (east of the country as well), Chief of Staff of the Ukrainian Army Valery Zalogny announced the restoration of control over 3,000 square kilometers of land in this strategic region close to the Russian international borders.

Zalozhny added that the attacking Ukrainian forces are now 50 kilometers from the international border with Russia.

strategic cities

Earlier on Saturday, Al-Jazeera correspondent reported that the Ukrainian army had taken control of the city of Kobyansk after battles with Russian forces.

The Ukrainian army had also announced that its units raised the Ukrainian flag over the local administration building in the city of Plaklya, near Izyum.


Ammunition boxes and military equipment were seen scattered in areas left by Russian forces, according to photos published by the Ukrainian army.

And the Ukrainian army stated in a circular regarding the situation on the ground today, Sunday - which coincides with the 200th day since the start of the war - that "the liberation of settlements is underway in the Kobyansk and Izyum regions of the Kharkiv region," as he put it.

The two sites are important logistical centers that Russia relies on to deliver supplies to its front sites in the east.

Russian strikes

On the other hand, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that its forces bombed Ukrainian targets in Kharkiv with precision-guided strikes.

Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said that Russian forces had repositioned them from Izyum towards Donetsk, to reinforce their positions on that axis.

Konashenkov added that within 3 days, more than 2,000 Ukrainian and foreign soldiers were eliminated during this operation.

In a related matter, the Ukrainian Nuclear Energy Agency stated that the last reactor at the Zaporozhye plant, which is under the control of Russian forces, and which is the largest in Europe, was closed as a precaution.

The Ukrainian company, "Energoatom", the operator of the station, announced that "unit No. 6 has been disconnected from the electrical network," adding that "preparations are being made to cool it."

Ukrainian forces on the front lines near Donetsk (Reuters)

Biggest progress

In a related context, US experts stated that Ukrainian soldiers regained in 5 days more lands than those occupied by Russian forces since last April.

The Institute for War Studies said in its analysis on the situation today, Sunday, that "the liberation of Izyum will be the most important Ukrainian military achievement since the battle of Kyiv last March," with the beginning of Russia's war and its push of long military columns in the vicinity of the capital with the aim of controlling it before it retreated and was limited The objectives of its military operation to the east.

Experts said Russia's planned advance into the Donbass from the north had "failed".

The Washington-based institute, which publishes regular analyzes of the fighting in Ukraine since the start of the war, said that "a successful encirclement of the Russian forces fleeing the city of Izyum will lead to the destruction or arrest of a large number of Russian forces and exacerbate the problems of manpower and Russian morale."

Western parties supporting Kiev usually publish periodic reports about the retreat of Russian forces and inflicting heavy losses on them, but Moscow usually denies them.

back to negotiations

Politically, the Ukrainian presidency said that any return to negotiations with Russia must include the complete liberation of Ukrainian lands, Russia's payment of compensation to the Ukrainian side, and the punishment of war criminals.

The Ukrainian presidency confirmed that all Kyiv's partners support this formula.

On the other hand, TASS news agency quoted Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as saying that Moscow does not refuse to hold negotiations with Ukraine, noting that delaying its contract complicates the process.

Lavrov said that the delay in negotiations between Russia and Ukraine makes it difficult to reach an agreement between the two countries, stressing that Moscow does not refuse to negotiate.

Lavrov added that the world is moving towards a just system, and it will be a multipolar one, noting that his country supports equal dialogue and solves all problems on the principle of balancing the interests of all countries of the world.

He said that everything the West does is based on its fear of competition.