The Ukrainians apparently reclaimed large areas of northern, western and eastern Kiev. However, Moscow had indicated a partial withdrawal. At the same time, there was an air strike near the Russian city of Belgorod, the origin of which is not so clear.
Kiev/Moscow/London. A good five weeks after the start of the war, Friday brought a special dynamic to the military processes in Ukraine. In the Kiev area, for example, the defenders apparently managed to reconquer large areas in the north, west and east of the city; there were no Russians in the south. If the reports and photos are true, the Ukrainians are back in Ivankiv, about 50 kilometers northwest of Kiev’s city limits, and 70 kilometers east in Shurivka.
In addition, Chernihiv, about 105 kilometers away in the northeast, may face relief. The Russians could not take the important city near the border with Belarus and had to bypass it to approach Kiev along this axis. Certainly Hostomel Airport, in the far northwest of Kiev, has been recaptured. On the first day of the war, it was the scene of a failed air operation by the Russians and was only occupied days later by units rolling over the ground. Hostomel is considered one of the most important focal points of the Ukrainian war. Of course, Russia announced on Tuesday that it would withdraw its forces on the northern front. The objective could be to renew them on the border with Belarus or there, but also transfer forces to the east: Recently, the general staff suddenly said that the real objective of the war was the “liberation” of the entire Donbass region.