In recent days, Ukrainian forces have recaptured the key rail hub of Kupiansk and claim to have captured Izium, previously the main base for Russia in Kharkiv province. “The Russian army these days is showing what it can do best – showing its back,” Zelensky said in his video night address on Saturday. Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, the commander-in-chief of Ukrainian forces, said on Sunday that Ukraine had regained control of about 3,000 square kilometers of territory since early September. “In the direction of Kharkiv, we began to advance not only to the south and east, but also to the north. There are 50 kilometers to go to the state border [with Russia]” said Zaluzhnyi. On Saturday night, Zelenskiy put the number at 2,000 square kilometers. The Institute for the Study of War said Ukraine had recaptured more territory in five days than Russia had seized since April. Videos from recently recaptured territory illustrate the scale of the escape, showing military hardware and ammunition left behind by Russians who escaped to their previous positions. Ukrainian politicians have shared morale-boosting videos of the country’s soldiers raising the national flag in various towns and villages. The counteroffensive in the country’s northeast came as a surprise to Moscow and most military observers, who instead expected a long-promised Ukrainian advance in the southern Kherson region. Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said on Saturday that the Ukrainian offensive could hit the Russians “like an avalanche” and predicted further rapid gains. “A line of defense will falter and fall,” he said in televised comments. Zelensky, speaking at a conference in Kyiv at the weekend, said the next three months would be crucial for the course of the war and the future of his country. “Ahead are 90 days that will define more than 30 years of Ukraine’s independence. Ninety days that more than all other years will define the existence of the E.U. Winter will determine our future,” he said. Ukrainian officials did not confirm they had recaptured Izium, but Zelenskiy’s chief of staff Andriy Yermak posted a photo of troops on its outskirts and tweeted a grape emoji. The name of the city means raisin Kyiv-based military analyst Oleh Zhdanov told Reuters the gains could pave the way for a further push into Luhansk province, which Russia claimed in early July. “If you look at the map, it is reasonable to assume that the offensive will be deployed in the direction of Svatove – Starobelsk and Sievierodonetsk – Lysychansk. These are two promising directions,” he said. Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov claimed that the Russian withdrawal was actually a “regrouping of forces” to strengthen defense lines in the neighboring Donetsk region. The statement was widely mocked by Ukrainians as well as nationalist Russian bloggers, who reacted with dismay to the Ukrainian gains last week.
