In his speech on Saturday night, he said: “These days, the Russian military is showing its best – showing its back. And, finally, it’s a good choice to leave. There is and will be no place for the conquerors in Ukraine.” Zelensky spoke after the Russian military was forced to withdraw thousands of troops following a series of critical battlefield defeats in the northeast as the invasion ordered by Vladimir Putin entered its 200th day. Ukrainian forces confirmed the liberation of the critical railway junction of Kupiansk and shortly after the capture of Izium, the main base of Moscow forces in the Kharkiv region and perhaps Ukraine’s most significant success in pushing back the Russians since the beginning of the invasion. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in Kyiv that Ukrainian forces had proven they were capable of defeating the Russian military with the weapons they were given. “And that’s why I repeat: the more weapons we get, the faster we will win and the faster this war will end,” he said. Ukrainian troops also liberated the villages of Vasylenkovo and Artemivka in the Kharkiv region, Zelensky said. Within hours of the fall of Izium, the Russian Defense Ministry admitted it was withdrawing its forces from the area. In unexpected developments just a few days ago, Russian officials said troops would be moved from the Balakliia and Izium regions to help its operation in the Donbas, mirroring the Kremlin’s justification for withdrawing its forces from the Kiev region immediately after the start of the seven-month war. Vitaly Gadchev, head of the Russian-backed administration in the Kharkiv region, told state television that several villages had come under the control of Ukrainian forces and said his government was trying to “evacuate” civilians from towns including Izi, where British officials described Russian forces as “increasingly isolated”. A resident of Izium, who preferred to remain anonymous, told the Guardian that Ukrainian troops had entered the town. Before that, “Russian occupation forces were rapidly withdrawing, leaving behind ammunition and equipment.” Ukrainian officials shared photos on Saturday showing troops raising the nation’s flag over Kupiansk, where railway lines connecting Russia with eastern Ukraine converge and which have, in recent months, supplied Russian forces in northeastern Ukraine. “Kupiansk is Ukraine. Glory to the armed forces of Ukraine,” said Natalya Popova, adviser to the head of the Kharkiv regional council. For weeks, Ukrainian officials had telegraphed plans for a planned counteroffensive in the southern Kherson region, but the main focus of this week’s counteroffensive was Kharkiv in the northeast, taking everyone by surprise, apparently including the Russians. The much-publicized attack in southern Ukraine was a disinformation campaign, Ukraine’s special forces said. Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko spoke of the difference Western weapons were making on the battlefield: “Ukrainian troops are advancing into eastern Ukraine, liberating more towns and villages. Their courage combined with Western military support brings amazing results. “It is important that we continue to send weapons to Ukraine. Victory for Russia on the battlefield means winning peace in Ukraine.” German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock arrived in the Ukrainian capital on Saturday for a surprise visit and pledged to continue arms deliveries as well as humanitarian and financial support. A Ukrainian official also said Kiev troops were closing in on the eastern city of Lysychansk, which was captured by Russian troops after fierce artillery battles in July. It comes as Western intelligence suggests Russian forces in Kherson are under continued pressure from Ukrainian attacks. According to the Ukrainian military, Russia is sending 1,300 Chechen fighters to the southern region of Kherson. Russian news agencies reported six large explosions in Nova Kakhovka, a town held by Russian troops in the Kherson region.
