Ukraine war: counteroffensive near Russian-held town of Izium could prove setback for Moscow
- Ukraine has been retaking territory in its northeast, driving the Russians away from the second-largest Ukrainian city of Kharkiv
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the situation in Donbas remained difficult, and Russian forces were still trying to salvage some kind of victory
Ukrainian forces have launched a counteroffensive near the Russian-held town of Izium in eastern Ukraine, a regional governor said on Saturday, in what could prove a serious setback for Moscow’s plans to capture the entire Donbas region.
Russian forces have focused much of their firepower on the Donbas in a “second phase” of their invasion that was announced on April 19, after they failed to reach the capital Kyiv from the north in the early weeks of the war.
But Ukraine has been retaking territory in its northeast, driving the Russians away from the second-largest Ukrainian city of Kharkiv. Keeping up pressure on Izium and Russian supply lines will make it harder for Moscow to encircle battle-hardened Ukrainian troops on the eastern front in the Donbas.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the situation in Donbas remained very difficult, adding that Russian forces were still trying to salvage some kind of victory there.
“They are not stopping their efforts,” he said.
The president spoke as Mitch McConnell, the top Republican in the US Senate, paid an unannounced visit to Kyiv with other Republican senators. The Republican delegation discussed further strengthening sanctions on Russia, Zelensky said.
Zelensky also said complex talks were under way to find a way to evacuate a large number of wounded soldiers from a besieged steel works in the port of Mariupol in return for the release of Russian prisoners of war.