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The Ukrainian conflict has dragged on into its seventh month with stagnant fighting, as the Russian Federation and the Ukrainian military have dug in for a long war of attrition. However, in the last few weeks, The Russian military has been trying to consolidate on the territorial gains that they made in the first few months of the war. This moves by the Russian military to Consolidation its territory has put the Russian Military on hold while they try to stabilize the regions they have occupied up to this point in the war; in doing this the Ukrainian army has had time to consolidate their military forces and prepare for a devastating counter-offensive. In late August, the Ukrainian counter-offensive was reported to be targeting the Kherson Oblast, and the second largest city of Kherson located in the Kherson Oblast. The Counter-offensive was launched targeting Kherson and began around late August and early September. This Counter-offensive was widely covered by local and international media such as the BBC, CNN, and other independent news organizations. Media Reporting covered the Counter-offensive targeting the Kherson Oblast as being half successful and not a breakthrough.
The Ukrainian Military has made significant gains over the past few days and hours as a Counter-offensive started earlier in September. The lightning-fast counter-offensive by the Ukrainian Military forces has led to the capture of more than 20 towns, and the capture of the major Russian supply Hub located in the city of Izumi. The liberation of the city of Izumi is a major strategic victory for Ukrainian forces, and a massive logistic and strategic blunder for the Russian Federation. This Logistics blunder is a massive setback for the Russian military, as a Lack of proper logistics means combat units are much less effective and can be easily overwhelmed. This major loss for the Russian Military is reflected in the quote by Army General John J. Pershing, the commander of the American Expeditionary Forces on the Western Front during WWI, "Infantry wins battles, logistics wins wars.” Russian Commanders now face a problem on how to keep a steady flow of supplies to their troops, as the capture of Izumi cuts off critical supply lines and will hinder the Russian Military's overall ability to organize and launch offensive operations.
Ukrainian Forces have pushed Russian forces back to establish a new defense on the east side of the Oskil river. The Oskil river is now providing a defensive line that has slowed down the Ukrainian advance and allowed for some of the retreating Russian Units to reestablish defensive fortifications. However Russian command is fractured and broken with on-the-ground reporting by CNN and AN news revealing That Russian troops abandoned positions and retreated and fled in a disorganized and panicked fashion. CNN and other independent News sources are reporting that Ukrainian Forces have re-secured more than 3,000 square kilometers that were previously occupied by Russian Forces. With this massive 3,000 square kilometer gain by Ukrainian forces, it has dramatically set back Russian progress in capturing and holding Ukrainian territory.
Author: Jarin Clapp is a senior and in his first year with the Poudre Press. Clapp is the editor, lead writer, and founder of Operation Copper Rain.
The mission of OCR is to bring informative local and international news, with fact-based reporting that drives a community based on facts and truths.
References
Becatoros, E. (2022, September 13). Ukrainian troops keep up pressure on fleeing Russian forces. Retrieved from https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-zelenskyy-nato-kharkiv-7753fe41f7e03efa0bec0a37e18f3de6
Person. (2022, September 14). Interactive Map: Russia's Invasion of Ukraine. Retrieved from https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/36a7f6a6f5a9448496de641cf64bd375
Vandoorne, S., & Bell, M. (2022, September 12). 'Everybody was running away.' Ukrainians in Kharkiv villages describe Russia's retreat. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/12/europe/ukraine-kharkiv-russia-retreat-intl/index.html