September 22, 2022
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Ukrainian forces have made significant progress in a rapid counteroffensive in recent days and have recaptured the Russian-occupied Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine.
However, Russian troops still control about a fifth of Ukraine.
What changes have occurred in the Russian-Ukrainian war?
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, besieging the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv. Russia has also launched attacks in southern, eastern and northern Ukraine.
In early April, Ukrainian forces recaptured large areas around Kiev after Russia abandoned its offensive on Kiev.
Since then, Russia has concentrated its military operations on the southern, eastern and northeastern parts of Ukraine, capturing a large amount of Ukrainian territory.
However, in early September, the situation changed dramatically.
In a decisive counteroffensive in the northeast, Ukraine repelled Russian troops. Ukraine claims to have recovered 3,000 square kilometers of territory around the city of Kharkiv alone.
Ukrainian forces also recaptured the territory of Luhansk in eastern Ukraine. The Luhansk region has been completely occupied by Russia since July.
Ukraine said it took back more than 8,000 square kilometers of territory from Russian control in September. This is the most significant result Ukraine has achieved in regaining territory since the war began.
Ukraine says the cities of Izyum and Kupyansk, which were recaptured on September 10, are both important supply centers for the Russian army. Hence, this marks a major strategic success.
Ukrainian troops also launched a counterattack in the southern Kherson region.
The Institute for War Studies (ISW) said Ukrainian forces had suffered “significant operational defeats” by Russian forces.
Justin Bronk of the Royal United Service Institute for Defence and Security said the Russian positions in Kharkiv had been hit “total collapse”.
He said Russia’s withdrawal was “the most dramatic reversal we have seen since Russia withdrew from Kyiv in April.”
How does Russia respond?
Russia confirmed that troops were withdrawing from Izyum and Kubiansk, but said it was a strategic retreat in order to “regroup”.
Russia also said it would continue to carry out military strikes in these areas.
But Russian troops appear to have dropped a lot of equipment and ammunition during the retreat.
How much Ukrainian territory does Russia still occupy?
Russia still occupies about 20 percent of Ukraine’s land, according to the ISW Institute for War Research.
These areas are mainly in the Donbas region in the east and the southern part of mainland Ukraine, as well as the Crimea peninsula, which Russia annexed in 2014.
After Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, pro-Russian forces occupied more than a third of the region and established two so-called people’s republics in the Donbass, a predominantly Russian-speaking region.
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The western region of Ukraine, including Lviv, was hit by Russian missiles, but Russian troops had no intention of occupying it.
What does Russia want?
Russia refused to recognize the invasion of Ukraine as a war, saying only that it was conducting “special military operations” in Ukraine.
The Kremlin said the military operation would continue “until all the initially set objectives” have been achieved.
When launching the invasion in February, Russian President Vladimir Putin said his goal was to “demilitarize Ukraine”.
One of the goals is to ensure that Ukraine does not join the Western defense military alliance, NATO.
Russia’s initial goal was to conquer Ukraine and overthrow the current government. However, it now appears to have limited its aim to securing occupied territories in eastern and southern Ukraine.
What does Ukraine want?
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his main goal was to drive out all Russian troops and “recover all territory”.
Zelensky called on countries to provide more money and equipment to keep areas retaken from Russia.
Ukraine used a lot of weapons and equipment sent by Western countries in the war against Russia.
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Putin met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at a recent Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit. He revealed that China has “concerns and questions” about Russia’s military action in Ukraine. But it is not known whether he has allayed China’s concerns.
How much did the Russian and Ukrainian personnel lose?
Both Russia and Ukraine suffered losses in the war, but neither has released exact figures.
Ukraine, which claims to have wiped out 50,000 Russian troops, said in late August that it had also lost nearly 9,000 military personnel since the conflict began.
Russia rarely discloses troop fatalities. Its last public death toll was in March, when it said 1,351 Russian soldiers had died since the invasion began.
In July, U.S. officials estimated that about 15,000 Russian soldiers were killed.
Civilians also died. In early September, the United Nations confirmed more than 5,700 deaths.
However, the United Nations said the actual figure could be much higher.