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Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Ukraine Sees ‘Significant' Victory in Kharkiv, UK Intel Claims Russian Army ‘Taken by Surprise'
2022-09-11
[Breitbart] Ukraine is reportedly on the precipice of a major victory, with its counter-offensive around the eastern city of Kharkiv (Kharkov) unexpectedly putting the Russian army on the back foot.

According to British intelligence, Russian forces appear to have been "taken by surprise" by the Ukrainians, who have reportedly advanced "up to 50 kilometres (31 miles) into previously Russian-held territory on a narrow front."

A Saturday morning intelligence briefing said that the Kharkiv front was only "lightly held" by Russian forces which had moved elsewhere, apparently under the assumption that Kharkiv would not be the focus of the Ukrainian counter-offensive.

To make matters worse for the Russians, a large force, perhaps in the thousands, of soldiers, has become "increasingly isolated" around the city of Izium (Izyum), leaving them potentially vulnerable to being captured by Ukraine.

While the Kremlin has been quiet about the apparent Ukrainian gains, former FSB intelligence officer and military leader Igor Girkin said that Russia only has one or two days to mount a counter-attack at Izium or they could be forced to flee.

Girkin, who played a key role in the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea, reportedly wrote on his Telegram account: "The question of the time of the counter-attack is very acute: if the enemy manages to gain a foothold in the positions reached, pull up artillery and air defence, then it will be extremely difficult for our units to throw him back .... if at all (given the extremely low staffing, especially infantry)."

Should the thousands of troops actually be fully encircled and captured by the Ukrainians, it would represent one of the largest battlefield defeats for the Russians since the Second World War.
Posted by:Besoeker

#9  Russian forces are fleeing Starobil's'k in the direction of Luhansk. Several convoys were reported to be leaving the town at high speed recently.

That's central Lughansk. Also leaving Svatove (western Lughansk). Are the Russians consolidating in Eastern Lughansk (Russian border) and Donetsk?
Posted by: Snash Shairt9621   2022-09-11 19:56  

#8  Ukrainians have rode into Vovchansk city near Russian border.
Posted by: Snash Shairt9621   2022-09-11 19:45  

#7  Also the Russians are now attacking electric power generating plants, shutting off electricity to large parts of eat and north Ukraine.
Posted by: Snash Shairt9621   2022-09-11 15:56  

#6  According to https://liveuamap.com/ the Russians have withdrawn to the east of Oskil/Oskol river all the way to the border. That includes withdrawing from the north of Kharkiv. That should stop the artillery attacks in Kharkiv though the larger MLRS can still reach it.
Posted by: Snash Shairt9621   2022-09-11 15:53  

#5  TFI Global website articles seem to be written with the same breathlessness as 4Chan, Infowars or Unz, but containing more clickable ads.
Posted by: Mullah Richard   2022-09-11 15:16  

#4  /\ Dale, from your source: "There is no doubt that the CIA has been one of the most efficient intelligence agencies in the world. " Really? After that snort worthy start I found an article laughable...
Posted by: magpie   2022-09-11 14:54  

#3  Evil man strikes again.
Posted by: Dale   2022-09-11 14:28  

#2  Some of the fronts in this war ('special operation' my posterior!) seem to resemble the confused battles of WW2 African Desert Campaign: a few fortified bastions and a lot of terrain constantly changing hands because there is more real estate than troops to hold it ...and supply line issues. Russia took it and Ukraine took it back and tomorrow...?
Posted by: magpie   2022-09-11 11:31  

#1  
Posted by: Frank G   2022-09-11 06:42  

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