Apparently, the Ukrainian military made massive gains in the area around Kiev. There was talk of defenders recapturing dozens of villages. The development was already apparent in the previous days, but it should have gained massive momentum from Friday night. The Ukrainian military recently reported recapturing the Kiev suburb of Irpin. Russian forces that were originally supposed to advance into the Ukrainian capital have been stuck for some time – partly in the mud, possibly because the Ukrainians blew up the Irpin dam some 26 kilometers to the northwest.
Debacle for the Russians?
Massive Ukrainian attacks, lack of food and fuel supplies mean that the morale of Russian attackers is steadily dropping. British sources speak of defections, and soldiers are said to have attacked officers. Now there is talk of a Russian disaster on the Kiev front.
In Kiev, the situation is improving for residents. “Thanks to the firm defense and heroic actions of our troops, the situation is improving,” the city’s commander said on Friday.
The Russian army leadership pulled the emergency brake, the Kremlin recently announced that it wanted to withdraw forces around Kiev and move them eastward. However, Western military experts had assumed that Russia would continue its attacks on Kiev, if only to tie up significant Ukrainian forces. It remains to be seen to what extent this is still possible.
Recently, the Russian army has also failed to make significant military advances in eastern and southern Ukraine. Ukrainian forces have recently regained positions in the Cherson area, and the heavy equipment would have fallen into Ukrainian hands.