Ukrainian forces have been trying to reclaim territory from the Russians in recent days, according to a senior US defense official – who described them as “able and willing” to do so.
Here is the situation on the ground:
Counterattacks near the capital
A Ukrainian counterattack north and west of Kiev it appeared to have made some headway, jeopardizing Russian efforts to encircle the capital and threatening the ability of Russian forces to resupply forward units exposed to the north of the city.
One of these areas is Makariv, a strategic city 48 kilometers west of Kiev. After days of struggle, Ukrainian forces have regained control of the city, the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in a post on Facebook on Tuesday (22). THE CNN could not confirm the claim.
Makariv had suffered significant damage from continued Russian air strikes. A video obtained shows widespread devastation.
If Ukrainian forces consolidated their grip on Makariv, it would be more difficult for Russian troops to secure approaches from the west of Kiev and then push their borders further south.
There are also indications that Russian forces suffered setbacks north of Kiev in areas they had occupied almost since the start of the invasion.
A short video geolocated by CNN showed Ukrainian troops walking in the city of moschun, about 35 kilometers north of the capital. Geolocated footage from Ukrainian drones over the weekend showed the destruction of Russian weapons in the same area.
River Irpin overflow
Satellite images from Monday (21) showed increasing flooding caused by the Irpin River. THE CNN previously reported that a dam along the Dnieper River was flooding the Irpin River basin and its tributaries.
The river is central to the Russian advance towards Kiev; if the Russians cannot cross it, they cannot take Kiev from the west.
It is unclear how the dam began to flood: whether the floodgates were opened on purpose by the Ukrainians, or whether it was hit by a military attack.
Borodyanka
About 20 kilometers north of Makariv is the town of Borodyankawhich has been held by Russian and Chechen forces since the beginning of the campaign.
If the Ukrainians took Borodyanka, Russian attack units could be cut off. The battlefield is fluid, and the Russians could reverse recent losses.
But if the Ukrainians hold Makariv and extend their control over the area, the Russian positions between the city and Kiev would be vulnerable, further impeding their objective of advancing south, via the main east-west highway, so as to encircle the city. capital.
Kherson and Mykolaiv
A senior US defense official said Ukrainians were fighting to retake the southern city of Khersonin addition to putting pressure on Russian forces in the northeast of Mykolaiv, forcing them to reposition themselves south of the city.
The official warned that the United States cannot say whether these moves are part of a “greater operational plan” by the Ukrainians or not, but called the Ukrainian defense “fast” and “agile”.
Source: CNN Brasil
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