As the Ukrainian counteroffensive makes progress in the eastern section of the country, Russia made the announcement on Saturday that it will be withdrawing its soldiers from two districts.
The Run of Shame!
According to reports from the Associated Press, Ukrainian forces made what looks to be successful advances close to Kharkiv, which is the country’s second-largest city.
In a video made public on Saturday night, President Volodymyr Zelenszky poked fun at the Russians after they announced they were retreating.
Zelensky says Ukrainian forces have reclaimed about 2,000 sq kilometers of territory since the beginning of September.
“The Russian army is showing its best — showing its back. And it’s a good choice for them to run away. There’s no place for the occupiers in Ukraine.” pic.twitter.com/B9g2QhM8w4
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) September 10, 2022
According to Zelensky, the Russian armed forces are currently showing their backs, which is the best demonstration of their capabilities at this time.
They are making the right choice to run, of course, since it will benefit them.
NEW: Thousands of Russian troops are retreating in the face of a lightning Ukrainian offensive in the Kharkiv region https://t.co/Fp7xW0BERk
— Bloomberg (@business) September 10, 2022
The Ukrainian armed forces began their counterattack about a month ago in the south, close to Kherson, and in the east, close to Kharkiv.
These counter-offensives took place around the same time Russian President Vladimir Putin increased his army by nearly 140,000 troops.
The invasion of the country by Russian soldiers has been going on for more than half a year, at this point, and it has reached a standstill.
Officials from Russia even revealed in recent days that they slowed down their operations in Ukraine, citing the need to “prevent deaths among civilians” as the reason for the slowdown.
That is particularly funny, as, since the beginning of the conflict, it has been estimated that 5,600 people have been killed; there are suspicions that Russia made it a point to deliberately target civilians.
Claims of Regrouping Amid Feelings of Rage
According to the Associated Press, a spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Defense named Igor Konashenkov tried to mitigate the impact of the retreat.
He’s stating Russian forces will “regroup” in the Donetsk province after abandoning the Balakliya and Izyum districts. According to reports, residents of Balakliya applauded the return of Ukrainian troops to the region as they moved in.
The Russian Defense Ministry made the announcement of a troop withdrawal on the same day that Russian President Vladimir Putin commemorated the 875th anniversary of the founding of Moscow.
The withdrawal added to the criticism that has been leveled against Putin and his war in Ukraine.
According to Dmitri Kuznets, a war analyst for the Russian-language news source Meduza, who spoke with The New York Times, the majority of these people are in disbelief.
They did not believe that something like this could occur. He believes the vast majority of them are experiencing genuine rage.
In the end, Ukrainian troops are pushing really hard and the Russians are still in disbelief. The next few days or weeks will be pivotal in the war and we have to wait to see what happens next.
This article appeared in Our Patriot and has been published here with permission.
