10/09/2022
RUSSIAN PRESIDENT SHOCKED ABOUT UKRAINE TAKEN BACK OVER 30 COMMUNITIES
A Ukrainian advance near the eastern city of Kharkiv - which has recaptured several towns - has taken Russia "by surprise", UK defence officials say.
In a daily update, they said Kyiv's forces have advanced 50km (31 miles) into previously Russian-held territory.
The attack has also left thousands of Moscow's troops "increasingly isolated" near the key city of Izyum, they said.
On Friday evening, President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine had retaken 30 settlements in the Kharkiv region.
Speaking from Kyiv during his nightly address, Mr Zelensky said his forces are "gradually taking control of new settlements" and "returning the Ukrainian flag and protection for all our people".
Ukraine launched its counter-offensive in the east earlier this week, while international attention had been focussed on an anticipated advance near the southern city of Kherson.
Analysts believe Russia had redirected some of its most seasoned troops to defend the city.
In their update, UK officials said "Russian forces were likely taken by surprise" by the eastern offensive.
The Kharkiv region was "lightly held", the UK said, adding the offensive is seeking to sever Russian supply lines near Kupyansk and trap thousands of Russian troops in Izyum.
"We are moving forward," General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, commander of Ukraine's armed forces, wrote in a Facebook update on Friday afternoon. "We clearly know what we are fighting for and we will definitely win."
