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.
This is the situation on site:
Counterattacks near the capital: A Ukrainian counterattack north and west of Kiev appeared to have made some progress, jeopardizing Russian efforts to encircle the capital and reducing the ability of Russian forces to attack forward units exposed to the north of the city. supplies was endangered.
makariv: One such area is Makariv, a strategic city 30 miles (48 kilometers) west of Kiev. After days of fighting, Ukrainian forces have regained control of the city, Ukraine’s armed forces said in a Facebook post on Tuesday. DailyExpertNews could not confirm the claim. Makariv had sustained significant damage from continued Russian airstrikes, with video showing widespread destruction. If Ukrainian forces consolidate their control over Makariv, it would make it more difficult for Russian forces to secure western entrances to Kiev and then move further south.
North of Kyiv: There is also evidence that Russian forces have suffered setbacks north of Kiev in areas they have controlled almost since the invasion began. A short video located by DailyExpertNews showed Ukrainian troops marching in the town of Moschun, about 20 miles (35 kilometers) north of the capital. Ukrainian drone video geolocated over the weekend showed the destruction of Russian armor in the same area.
Flooding of the Irpin River: Satellite images from Monday showed increasing flooding from the Irpin River. DailyExpertNews previously reported that a dam along the Dnieper River overflowed the Irpin River basin and its tributaries. The river is critical to the Russian advance towards Kiev; if the Russians can’t cross it, they can’t take Kiev from the west. It’s unclear how the dam began to flood: whether the gates were opened on purpose by the Ukrainians, or if it was hit by a military attack.
Borodyanka: About 20 kilometers north of Makariv is the town of Borodyanka, which has been held by Russian and Chechen troops since the start of the campaign. If the Ukrainians captured Borodyanka, the leading Russian units could be cut off. The battlefield is fluid and the Russians can undo recent losses. But if the Ukrainians hold onto Makariv and expand their control of the area, Russian positions between the city and Kiev would become vulnerable, further pushing their goal to push further south beyond the main east-west highway to encircle the capital. would hinder.
Kherson and Mykolaiv: A A senior US defense official said Ukrainians are fighting to take back the southern city of Kherson and pushing Russian troops out of northeastern Mykolaiv, forcing them to move south of the city. The official warned that the US cannot say whether these steps are part of a “greater operational plan” by the Ukrainians or not, but called the Ukrainian defenses “deft” and “deft”.
