Ukrainian forces
have recaptured over 20 settlements that had been occupied by the Russians in the last 24 hours
: the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine made it known in a post on Facebook, according to reports Ukrinform.
"The Ukrainian forces continue to free the settlements in the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions from the Russian invaders", the message continues, underlining that "the enemy continues to attack the Ukrainian positions, conducting aerial reconnaissance and trying to take measures to regain ground".
The Ukrainian army has inflicted "significant losses" on Russian forces, the General Staff continues: "According to the information available, the 810th Naval Infantry Brigade
(based in Sevastopol, in the Crimea annexed to Russia) has lost almost 85% of his men. Other Russian soldiers have extremely low morale and psychological status, and many of them refuse to return to the hostilities area. "
The Russian attacks, in particular, resulted in
the deaths of at least 4 civilians in the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions of
eastern Ukraine.
One person was killed and two others were injured in the bombing of the city of Kharkiv, the mayor, Ihor Terekhov, wrote on Telegram, noting that "a residential building in the Novobavarsky neighborhood" was hit.
For his part, the head of the regional military administration of Donetsk, Pavlo Kyrylenko, wrote on Telegram that "on 11 September the Russians killed three civilians in the Donetsk region: in Velyka Novosilka, Romanivka and Bakhmut. Another eight people they were injured ".
Several explosions were heard last night in the city of Zaporizhzhia, as reported on Telegram by the secretary of the city council, Anatolii Kurtiev.
On the night between 11 and 12 September "loud explosions were heard in the city", wrote Kurtiev, adding that subsequently "the situation in Zaporizhzhia was relatively calm".
And due to the losses suffered in Ukraine, Moscow has decided to
sack the commander of the Western Military District of Russia
: the Kiev intelligence says,
according to reports from the Kyiv Independent.
According to intelligence, Russian Lieutenant General Roman Berdnikov, who had commanded the Russian intervention in Syria and was appointed commander of the Western Military District on August 26, was removed.
Meanwhile, the Chechen commander
Ramzan Kadyrov
announces the return of his elite special units to the Ukrainian battlefield.
Former president Medvedev, current vice-president of the Russian security council, however, reiterates the conditions for the start of negotiations:
"The total capitulation
of the Kiev regime on Russian terms".
Yesterday an air alert affected all of Ukraine.
UNIAN reports that there have been explosions and blackouts in various regions, especially in the east of the country.
Nexta also reports on Russian missiles launched from the Black Sea, also publishing a video.
The Ukrainian armed forces have arrived at Hoptivka
,
a border crossing point on the Ukrainian-Russian border,
in the Dergaci district of the Kharkiv region, as reported by the 130th battalion of the Ukrainian army in a message released by UNIAN, which states that at the moment there are no confirmations from the General Staff.
"Russia's response to Ukraine's liberation of towns and villages in the east was to fire missiles to destroy strategic civilian infrastructure."
The American ambassador in Kiev, Bridget Brink, denounced this on Twitter after explosions and blackouts in various regions, especially in the east of the country.
Ukraine, the city of Chkalovske (Kharkiv region) liberated
Yesterday
Kupiansk
,
Balakliya
, and especially
Izyum,
the strategic cities of the Kharkiv region returned to Ukrainian hands.
Galvanized by the advances that the Russians themselves are starting to admit - however attributing them to their change of strategy to "reorganize the troops" towards the priority objective of taking the Donbass - the forces of Kiev,
on the 200th day of the Russian military offensive
, pushed the counter-offensive in the east and south of the country, regaining centers in enemy hands for months.
The commander-in-chief of the armed forces, Valeriy Zaluzhny, announced that Ukraine has recaptured more than 3,000 square kilometers of territory from Russian forces this month.
"The Ukrainians are fighting bravely for their future. They are also fighting for our common values. The EU has been by their side since the first day of Russia's war."
The president of the European Commission,
Ursula von der Leyen
writes in a tweet, reiterating European support for Kiev.
"We will help rebuild Ukraine as a free and modern country on its way to the EU," she adds.
Russian forces bombed the right bank of Kupiansk, in the Kharkiv region, which Kiev announced yesterday that it had recaptured
.
This was announced by a member of the local city council, Vadym Krokhmal, quoted by UNIAN.
"Kupiansk is divided in two halves by the Oskil River. Today, on the right bank, where the city center is located, the situation is not easy, but the area is already completely
controlled by our military. There have been bombings of the anti-aircraft systems" Krokhmal said, explaining that attempts are still being made to clarify the toll of the attack.
Ukraine, pictures of a Russian air strike in the Kharkiv region
Macron calls Putin
Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Emmanuel Macron of France had a telephone conversation today.
This was announced by the Kremlin, quoted by the Tass agency, underlining that the conversation took place on the initiative of Macron.
Ria Novosti added that the two heads of state spoke in particular about the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and Putin emphasized "regular attacks by Ukrainians on the plant".
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in a telephone conversation with Frenchman Emmanuel Macron today, said that Kiev uses "Western weapons against civilian infrastructure in the Donbass".
This was reported by the press service of the Kremlin quoted by TASS.
The Ukrainian attacks on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, "including the storage of radioactive waste", could have "catastrophic consequences".
Putin called for "pressure to be exerted on Kiev to stop the attacks immediately".
French President Emmanuel Macron has asked Putin to withdraw Russian heavy and light weapons from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant.
In the interview, the Elysée continues, Macron "condemned the continuation of Russian military operations in Ukraine and recalled the need for them to cease as soon as possible, for negotiations to be started and for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country to be restored. Ukraine".
As for the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, about which Macron spoke in the last few hours with the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky and with the director general of the IAEA, the French president "insisted" on "
Negotiations
Russia "does not reject" negotiations with Ukraine, but there are some "delays that complicate the negotiation process".
This was stated by Foreign Minister
Serghei Lavrov
quoted by TASS.
In an interview with Rossiya-1 television, Lavrov reported that
Vladimir Putin
has called a meeting with the Duma, the lower house of Parliament, and the leaders of the various factions.
"The president told the participants that we do not reject the negotiations," Lavrov stressed, but accused the Ukrainians of delaying the negotiation process.
Kiev, Putin said according to Lavrov's account, "should understand that the longer the process is delayed, the more difficult it will be to negotiate with us".
The nuclear power plant
Meanwhile, the state nuclear agency Energoatom announced that
the sixth and last reactor of the Zaporizhzhia power plant
no longer produces electricity
. "Today, 11 September 2022, at 03:41 (02:41 in Italy), the unit 6 of the ZNPP (the nuclear power plant, ed) has been disconnected from the electricity grid - reads a press release from the agency -. Preparations are underway for cooling and transfer to the cold state ".
"
The backup power line has been restored
of the Ukrainian nuclear power plant of Zaporizhzhia (Znpp), which supplies the plant with the external electricity necessary for reactor cooling and other safety functions ": the UN International Atomic Energy Agency writes in a tweet ( Aiea).
The wrath of Chechen Kadyrov
"I, Ramzan Kadyrov, officially declare that all these cities (Izyum, Kupiansk and Balakliya) will be reconquered. Our people are already there, the boys are trained for this job, another 10,000 fighters are ready to go . And we will reach Odessa in the near future ".
This was stated by Chechen leader
Ramzan Kadyrov
, in an audio message on Telegram taken by Meduza, after the liberation of the three Ukrainian cities in eastern Ukraine yesterday by the forces of Kiev.
The war on the field
"Position battles are underway, with consequent advance of the troops and consolidation of the territories - underlines the Command referring to yesterday's progress -. The enemy prefers to fight with artillery, trying to avoid direct contact . The enemy takes casualties and retreats. "
The command added that Russian forces yesterday launched 20 airstrikes 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.
The Ukrainian Air Force shot down a Russian fighter-bomber
Su-34: the Air Force Command itself made it known on social media, according to Ukrinform.
In the video posted on social media, the burned wreckage of the aircraft is seen scattered across a strip of forest while Ukrainian soldiers inspect the scene.
Russian forces bombed the right bank of Kupiansk
, in the Kharkiv region, which Kiev announced yesterday that it had recaptured.
This was announced by a member of the local city council, Vadym Krokhmal, quoted by UNIAN.
"Kupiansk is divided in two halves by the Oskil River. Today, on the right bank, where the city center is located, the situation is not easy, but the area is already completely controlled by our military. There have been bombings of the anti-aircraft systems", Krokhmal said, explaining that efforts are still being made to clarify the toll of the attack.
The exodus
According to the Russian authorities, in the last 24 hours "thousands" of people have fled to the Russian region of Belgorod from the Kharkiv oblast, the scene of the counter-offensive of the Kiev forces in eastern Ukraine.
"It was not the easiest night, nor the easiest morning. In the past 24 hours, thousands of people have crossed the border," said the governor of the Belgorod region, Viaceslav Gladkov, in a video message posted on his Telegram channel. .
The energy crisis
Russia will not sell gas or oil to countries that impose a price ceiling: the Russian energy minister reiterated this, reports Tass.
