Ukraine makes steady progress; Russia holds elections in war zone

Ukraine makes limited progress

Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Maliar said on September 11 that the army had recaptured nearly 2 ^square kilometers around the city of Bakhmut (Donetsk region) in the past week, recaptured part of the village of Opytne south of the city of Avdiivka and achieved partial success near the village of Novomaiorske also in Donetsk. After more than 3 months since the start of the counteroffensive, Ukraine has recaptured an area of 49 ^square kilometers near Bakhmut.

Ukrainian soldiers fight in Zaporizhzhia on September 4.

Ms Maliar also said Ukraine had made some gains near Andriivka and Klishchiivka, villages in the highlands south of Bakhmut that are considered crucial to controlling the city.

In the south, Ukrainian forces continued to advance south of Robotyne and west of Verbove in Zaporizhzhia province. Deputy Minister Maliar said the army had regained 1.5 ^square kilometers in the past week in an effort to push toward the Sea of Azov to cut off Russian forces.

Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley recently said that Ukraine's counterattack, although slower than expected, is still progressing very steadily.

In the latest development, Reuters quoted a Ukrainian military intelligence announcement saying that the country had regained control of several offshore drilling platforms near the Crimean peninsula after a “unique operation.” The force said the rigs, also known as “Boiko towers,” had been under Russian control since 2015 and had been used for military purposes by Moscow since the conflict broke out in February 2022.

On the other hand, the Ukrainian army reported attacks in many areas during the night. On September 11, the Ukrainian Air Force announced that it had shot down 13 Russian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) during the night.

UAV shot down in Kyiv on September 10

Russian officials have not commented on the developments in Ukraine. The Russian Defense Ministry said on the same day that air defense forces shot down two Ukrainian drones in the Belgorod region bordering Ukraine. Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said on September 11 that no one was injured and that the debris of the drones fell near a road in the Yakovlevsky district.

Russia holds elections in four regions annexed from Ukraine

From September 8-10, Russia held elections in many regions of the country and the four regions of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia were annexed from Ukraine in September 2022. Ukraine did not recognize this annexation and condemned the election.

Russian media reported that the United Russia party, which supports President Vladimir Putin, won overwhelming victories in all four regions. In Moscow, Mayor Sergey Sobyanin was re-elected for a third term, winning nearly 2.5 million votes, or 76.39%. Communist Party candidate Leonid Zyuganov came next with 8.11%, according to TASS.

The elections take place in many regions as Russia heads to the 2024 presidential election.

Voters cast their ballots in the Russian-controlled region of Donetsk on September 10.

German Foreign Minister visits Kyiv

German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock visited Kyiv on September 11 and emphasized Ukraine's position as part of the European Union (EU). According to Reuters, Ms. Baerbock said that Ukraine has achieved EU candidate status and now Europe is preparing to make a decision on opening accession dialogue.

However, the diplomat stressed that Ukraine still has a long way to go in fighting corruption despite impressive results in judicial reform and media law. This is Ms. Baerbock's fourth visit to Ukraine since February 2022.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/chien-su-den-toi-119-ukraine-tien-tien-vung-chac-nga-bau-cu-tai-vung-chien-185230911164234837.htm