The western intelligence department 1 1 said that in the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian army has made significant progress in its counterattack in the eastern Kharkov region. German TV 1 1 1 said that according to the latest intelligence information, Russian troops may have withdrawn from two strategic cities in eastern Ukraine. However, fighting continues around Kupyansk and Ikum cities.
Zelensky said in a daily video address on Saturday that he liberated about 2,000 kilometers, which is a good choice for Russian troops to flee. In Ukraine, occupiers have no place. It is not clear whether he said square kilometers. From September 9th to 1 1, at the Yalta European Strategy (Yes) Conference held in Kiev, Zelensky also stressed that he now thinks it is completely impossible to negotiate with Russia on the end of the war. About 70 politicians, diplomats, businessmen, activists and experts from about 20 countries attended the meeting.
According to the Ukrainian army, they have retaken Kupyansk, a strategically important city in the eastern part of the country, from the Russian army. On Saturday, Ukrainian special forces posted photos of Ukrainian troops controlling the city on the Internet. They wrote that Kupyansk has always been Ukrainian and will always be Ukrainian.
Russian troops announced their withdrawal from Kharkov. Igor Konashenkov, a spokesman for the Russian Defense Ministry, said that soldiers should be evacuated from Kharkov areas, such as the strategic place of Hikoum. Russian troops will also withdraw from the city of Balakriya, which Ukrainians said last week had been liberated.
Aoki observed that while Ukraine cheered the victory of the counterattack in high profile, the tone of the United States and the West was also increasing, and their confidence was also increasing. Even many western media and politicians have said that this is a turning point in the Ukrainian war.
In a telephone conversation with Zelensky, French President Macron again called on Russian troops to withdraw from the Ukrainian Zaporoze nuclear power plant on Saturday. The Elysee Palace said that Russian troops still occupied the Ukrainian nuclear power plant in the south of the country. According to the observers of the International Atomic Energy Agency at the scene, the situation of this controversial nuclear power plant is becoming more and more unstable.
German Foreign Minister Berber also paid a second visit to Kiev on Saturday. She promised to further support the demining work in the former war zone of Ukraine. German Defense Minister Lambrecht also announced this week that Ukrainian soldiers will receive demining training in Germany.
Ukraine is obviously dissatisfied with Germany. After meeting with Berber, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kuleba said that Germany should provide Ukraine with main battle tanks as soon as possible. At present, Ukraine is carrying out counterattacks in the east and south, and it is in urgent need of main battle tanks. But the Berbers responded helplessly that we have been providing heavy weapons for a long time. We have seen that these heavy weapons have also played a role in supporting Ukraine. She did not directly agree to Ukraine's request.
On Thursday, representatives of NATO and other western countries also attended a meeting of Ukrainian supporters led by the United States at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany. The summit praised the achievements made by the Ukrainian army in the counterattack. General Mili, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States, said at the meeting that Ukraine had attacked more than 400 Russian targets with the HIMARS rocket system provided by the United States.
However, some observers believe that the counterattack victory claimed by the Ukrainian army and the United States and the West is not that Russia is losing ground. The withdrawal of Russian troops from some places is the reorganization of Russian troops in eastern Ukraine to strengthen the troops in the neighboring Donetsk region. One thing is certain, Ukraine, the United States and the West are stepping up their counterattacks.
Europe and the United States are now at the forefront of domestic politics, and the two parties in the United States are dealing with the brutal competition in the mid-term elections in June, 5438+0 1, and Europe is in crisis. The victory they announced was also for the people at home. However, it is inevitable that the winter crisis will hit European and American countries harder.