The pictures appear to show Ukrainian soldiers waving the national flag over the town hall in Kupiansk, which is south of Kharkiv, where Russia’s front line looks increasingly weak. Earlier on Saturday, the Ministry of Defense (MoD) said Ukrainian units were “threatening the town of Kupiansk”, but reports of its recapture have yet to be verified. British intelligence officials said that if successful it would be a “significant blow to Russia … because it is on supply routes to the Donbas front line” in the east. A Reuters source in the region says the Ukrainians have made their fastest advances in months in light of pressure to make sufficient gains before winter and prove they are worthy of continued Western support. Vladimir Putin’s forces have focused on deploying troops and resources in the south of the country as both sides battle for Kherson – the first city the Russians captured. As a result, Russian forces were “likely taken by surprise,” the Foreign Ministry said, adding that Ukrainian units managed to “capture or surround several towns” in the east. The new Ukrainian advances mean “the Russian defense front is under pressure on both its northern and southern flanks,” according to intelligence officials. Image: An abandoned Russian military vehicle in Hrakove village in Kharkiv “At least 30 settlements were recovered from Ukraine” In his overnight address, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at least 30 settlements have been liberated in the Kharkiv region. “Our military, intelligence units and security services are conducting active engagements in many operational areas. They are doing so successfully,” he said. The Washington-based Institute for the Study of War also claims that Ukraine has made significant gains, estimating that Zelensky’s forces have seized about 2,500 square kilometers (965 square miles) around the northeast. It says that “disorganized Russian forces were caught up in the rapid Ukrainian advance.” They reported social media images of apparent Russian prisoners seized around Izyum and surrounding towns. The Foreign Ministry described Russian forces in the northeastern city of Izyum as “increasingly isolated.”
