Russia-Ukraine war: Ukrainian forces make big gains in counteroffensive

A general from the Ukrainian military said this week that its forces made major gains in its counter-attack. This comes as Russian forces likely risk a major blow should Ukrainian forces hold down the recaptured areas.

Ukrainian Brigadier General Oleksiy Gromov said during a news briefing Thursday that Ukrainian forces have succeeded in advancing up to 50 kilometers behind Russian lines. Over 20 villages in the northeastern Kharkiv region were recaptured so far, according to Gromov.

Overall, Ukrainian forces are said to have recaptured over 700 square miles of its southern and eastern territories.

Gromov cited the use of Turkish-made Bayraktar drones.

“Enemy infantry and motorized artillery units unprotected by air defense systems become easy prey for our Bayraktars, the quantity of which is always increasing, thanks to our volunteers,” said Gromov.

Gromov’s report comes as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in Ukraine and announced an additional $2 billion in aid for Ukraine and 18 other countries that are at risk of facing Russian aggression. Around half the aid will be going to Ukraine.

On the same day, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that US President Joe Biden approved an additional $675 million in military aid to Ukraine during a meeting with other defense ministers in Germany to discuss how to continue support for Ukraine.

The White House said Biden was able to call with allies and partners to reiterate Washington’s continued support for Ukraine in a war that is moving toward its seventh month.

A US official said the latest announcements would bring the total US security assistance to Ukraine to $15.2 billion since Biden took office in 2021.

During a video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also reiterated the gains its forces made in its counter-attack. Zelenskyy said Ukrainian forces “liberated dozens of settlements” and reclaimed an overall 1000 square kilometers of territory in the southern and eastern regions since Thursday last week.

Zelenskyy also shared a video where Ukrainian soldiers said they recaptured the eastern town of Balakliia near Kharkiv, which is the second-largest city in Ukraine. A video posted to a Ukrainian news aggregator appeared to show Russian forces leaving behind trucks, artillery, and ammunition.