Ukrainian troops continue to advance in their counter-offensive in the south of the country, as well as consolidating positions: the southern operational command of the Kiev army has announced, according to Ukrinform.
" Position battles
are underway , with consequent advance of troops and consolidation of territories
- underlines the Command referring to yesterday's progress - The enemy prefers to fight with artillery, trying to avoid direct contact. The enemy suffers losses. and withdraws ".
The command added that Russian forces yesterday launched
twenty air strikes on Ukrainian positions
along the line of contact and adjacent territories.
In response, Ukrainian troops hit the areas near Nova Kakhovka and Prydniprovske with the greatest presence of men and weapons, as well as ammunition depots near the city of Kherson.
Ukrainian President Zelensky announced that Kiev forces have regained control of the cities of Vasylenkove and Artemivka in the Kharkiv region (east).
"Step by step, our fighters are liberating the Ukrainian territory. The soldiers of the 113th Separate Territorial Defense Brigade have freed Vasylenkove and Artemivka in the Kharkiv region," Zelensky wrote on Telegram, recalling that freedom does not come easily and that the defenders Ukrainians are fighting for the independence of every Ukrainian at the cost of their lives.
Meanwhile, the Russian bombing of Donetsk continues.
Ten civilians died and another 19 were injured yesterday following the netsk attacks: four in Pokrovsk, three in Krasnohorivka, two in Bakhmut and one in Raihorodok.
Several wounded among the population also in the cities of Dnipro, Nikopol and Mykolaiv in southern Ukraine.
The authorities announce that
the last reactor of the
Ukrainian nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia that was still active has been shut down
and no longer produces electricity.
The state nuclear agency Energoatom has announced that "today, 11 September 2022, at 03:41 (2:41 in Italy), unit no. 6 of the ZNPP (the nuclear power plant, ed) was
disconnected from the grid Electricity. Preparations for cooling and transfer to cold state are in progress. "
Ukrainian media reported yesterday that
Russian troops are withdrawing from the city of Izyum and some other settlements in the Kharkiv region.
Ukrainska Pravda also cites a Telegram account of the first Deputy Minister of Information of the self-proclaimed pro-Russian separatist republic of Donetsk, Danylo Bezsonov, according to which the soldiers' escape "is the result of errors of the high command", but now "the thing main is admitting mistakes and drawing the right conclusions ".
According to the Moscow state news agency Ria Novosti, the Russian authorities in Kupiansk, in the Kharkiv region, "remain in the city despite the ongoing bombings, while the evacuation of the population is underway".
The leader of the pro-Russian in the region, Vitaly Ganchev, explained that "the authorities have begun the evacuation of the population also from Izyum, Shevchenkovo and Balakliya".
"The situation is very difficult. In the last two weeks the city has been under constant bombardment by Ukrainian forces with foreign ammunition
: Himars (rocket launchers) and (howitzers) M777 155 mm, which caused destruction and a large number of deaths and injuries. ".
This was stated by the head of the pro-Russian administration of Izyum, Vladimir Sokolov, quoted by Interfax, confirming that evacuations of the civilian population from the area are underway in Russia.
Ukrainian media reported that Kiev troops have entered Izyum and Russian troops are in retreat.
The war in Ukraine therefore marked a turning point: "
Kupiansk
is Ukraine
. Glory to the armed forces", the adviser to the president of the Kharkiv Regional Council, Nataliya Popova, wrote on social media, announcing the
liberation of the city
.
British Defense Ministry intelligence in its morning update wrote that the liberation of Kupiansk "would be a major blow to Moscow because it is located along the supply routes of the Donbass front line."
The eastern Ukrainian city was occupied by the Russians on February 27, three days after the invasion.
Today the Ukrainian army also liberated the village of Grakove.
ANSA agency
Kiev, in 3 days Russian air units shot down for 157 million dollars - World
Among these is also one of the most expensive cruise missiles, the Kh-101, which has an estimated cost of 13 million dollars.
In addition to drones, aerial helicopters (ANSA)
The liberation of Kupiansk
Ukrainian special forces have posted images on social networks showing the officers "in Kupiansk, which was and will always be Ukraine".
A regional official also posted a photo of Ukrainian soldiers in the city of 27,000.
Also in the east of the country, in the village of Grakove freed today by the Ukrainian forces, the soldiers of Kiev found fallen electric pylons, cables scattered on the ground, houses gutted, streets dotted with craters: the road leading to Grakove from the second city of the 'Ukraine, Kharkiv, is lined with skeletons of cars destroyed by explosions or crushed by tanks.
This morning the flag of Ukraine was officially in Balakliya, in the Kharkiv region.
together with the military.
According to the Moscow state news agency Ria Novosti, the Russian authorities in Kupiansk, in the Kharkiv region, "remain in the city despite the ongoing bombings, while the evacuation of the population is underway".
The leader of the pro-Russian in the region, Vitaly Ganchev, explained that "the authorities have begun the evacuation of the population also from Izyum, Shevchenkovo and Balakliya".
The British 007 report
According to the latest
British intelligence report
, the Ukrainian counter-offensive launched on September 6 in the south of the Kharkiv region, in the north-east, took Russian forces by surprise, while the counter-offensive in the Kherson region continues. south.
With these two operations, the Russian defensive front is under pressure on both the northern and southern flanks.
In the Kharkiv region, Ukrainian troops have gained up to 50 kilometers of land along a narrow front previously occupied by the Russians and have taken over or surrounded numerous cities.
As a result, Russian forces around the city of Izium are increasingly isolated and Ukrainian units now threaten the city of Kupiansk.
The war on the ground
Two civilians were killed and five others were injured during yesterday's Russian bombing in Ukraine's
Donetsk
region (east): the head of the regional military administration, Pavlo Kyrylenko, said on Facebook, according to reports. Ukrinform.
Overall, 821 civilians have been killed in this region and 2,053 injured since the invasion began on 24 February.
A 62-year-old woman died last night as a result of Russian bombing in the
Kharkiv region
: the state emergency service has announced, according to reports Ukrinform.
The woman was killed in the village of Vodolaha when a Russian missile hit her home.
Russia then sent 1,300 Chechen soldiers to the Kherson region, as reported by the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, underlining that the soldiers were sent to support the Moscow troops in the occupied areas of the region, in the context of the Ukrainian counter-offensive.
The diplomatic front
On the diplomatic front there was a surprise visit today to Kiev by the German Foreign Minister, Annalena Baerbock, to demonstrate Berlin's strong support for Ukraine in its war against Russia.
"Today I am in Kiev to show that they can continue to count on us. That we will continue to stand by Ukraine for as long as necessary, with arms supplies and humanitarian and financial support," said Baerbock.