As the Ukrainian military broke through Russian defensive lines, it recaptured multiple cities in a matter of days. On 7 September, the second day of the counteroffensive, the Ukrainian military advanced over 20 kilometres (12 mi) into Russian-held territory. The next day, Ukraine recapturedBalakliia andShevchenkove as Russian forces withdrew and fled. On the 9th, Russia began announcing for evacuations in nearby areas as the Ukrainian military continued its advance. The next day, Ukraine retook the key cities ofIzium andKupiansk, securing access to theOskil River. By the 11th, Ukraine successfully advanced up to 70 kilometres (43 mi) from the pre-counteroffensive front line. In turn, Russia's defence ministry announced the withdrawal of all forces west of the Oskil.
The pace of the counteroffensive then began to slow, but continued until early October. By 13 September, the Ukrainian military continued advancing and crossed theOskil River. Fighting continued over the next two weeks as Ukraine advanced and recaptured smaller villages. By 26 September, Ukraine retookKupiansk-Vuzlovyi on the east of the Oskil, securing its presence on both sides of the river. By late September, Ukraine beganencircling the city ofLyman before capturing it on 1 October.
During the offensive, Ukraine retook over 500 settlements and 12,000 square kilometers of territory in the Kharkiv region.[15][16] Thisblitzkrieg disrupted Russiansupply lines and significantly hindered its operations in the war.[17] It also served as a morale boost for Ukraine, as it continued to receive Western military aid during the war.[18]
During the early days of theRussian invasion of Ukraine, Russian forces captured much of easternKharkiv Oblast, including the towns ofKupiansk,Shevchenkove, andBalakliia:Shevchenkove came under Russian occupation on 26 February 2022,[19]Kupiansk on 27 February,[20][21] andBalakliia on 2 March.[22] According to Viktor Aleksieiev ofHolovne v Ukraiini [uk], Russian operations in this region were initially of an auxiliary nature: to cut offKharkiv from the south and southeast, separating it from the most combat-ready Ukrainian units in theDonbas and ensuring its capture by Russian forces advancing from its north. After abandoning the plans to capture Kharkiv, Russian forces usedIzium to attack the Donbas from the north.[23]
From March to early May, most of the fighting in Kharkiv Oblast was concentrated in the cities ofKharkiv andIzium.[24] In early April, Russian forcescaptured Izium, and Ukrainian forcessuccessfully defended Kharkiv by early May.[25][26] After that, the frontline began to stagnate as Russia and Ukraine focused their efforts on the cities ofSievierodonetsk,Lysychansk and the widerDonbas region.[27] Russian troops began accumulating in Izium, as Russian command intended for it to serve as a base as part of a large operation to surround Ukrainian forces in the east; Syrskyi estimated that as many as 24battalion tactical groups numbering about 18,000 troops were at one point based in the city and its surrounding area.[28]
Throughout July and August 2022, Ukrainian and Russian media both amplified claims of a Ukrainian counteroffensive inKherson Oblast.[29] By August, the number of Russian battalions in Izium had decreased by at least one-half, amid a redeployment of Russian forces to Kherson.[28] Ukraine'soperation in the south finally culminated on 29 August 2022.[29] The counteroffensive saw slow progress, with Ukrainian forces suffering heavy losses and facing a stiff Russian resistance.[30] However, on 6 September, Ukrainian forces launched a surprise counteroffensive in eastern Kharkiv oblast, with fighting for Balakliia beginning on the first day.[31]
Ukrainian forces held off Russian advances towards Kharkiv,[35] then launched counteroffensives in March and May pushing the Russians from the outskirts of the city.[36][37] By 6 June, the Russian bombardment of Kharkiv had killed 606 civilians and injured 1,248 according toAmnesty International.[38]
The battle lines in Kharkiv Oblast remained largely static over the next few months as Ukrainian and Western military analysts believed Russia lacked the ground forces to renew its offensive. The Kharkiv death toll exceeded 1,000 by August.[39]
By September 2022,Oleksandr Syrskyi, who had been in charge of thedefense of Kyiv at the beginning of the invasion and later received the title ofHero of Ukraine for his service, was appointed to command theUkrainian land forces in Kharkiv Oblast. The counteroffensive was performed under his command,[40][41] and Syrskyi is considered to be its architect.[41] Since spring 2022, Syrskyi had been considering the possibility of an offensive operation north of Balakliia and Izium which would threaten Russian forces in both cities with encirclement. In the summer, theUkrainian General Staff called for its commanders to propose diversionary operations to draw Russian forces away from the defense ofKherson, and Syrskyi submitted his idea.[28]
Syrskyi's plan called for a fast-paced advance that avoided direct attacks on towns and cities to avoid casualties. Just before the operation was launched, every attacking brigade was supplied with at least eightM777 howitzers.[28]
Prelude
After weeks of Ukrainian propaganda about an imminentcounteroffensive in southern Ukraine, Russia redeployed thousands of troops toKherson Oblast, leaving its remaining troops manning a "stretched and tired Russian front that spanned some 1,300km – roughly the distance from London to Prague."[42][43][44][45][46]
The arrival of US-suppliedHIMARS guided-rocket artillery enabled Ukrainian forces to strike up to 70 kilometres (43 mi) behind Russian lines, targeting Russian bases and ammunition depots as far back as Kupiansk andKivsharivka in the weeks preceding the eastern counteroffensive. These strikes further weakened Russian logistics and morale.[42] On 5 September, the Ukrainians claimed to have killed or wounded 100 Russian soldiers and destroyed two combat vehicles in a strike on Kupiansk.[47]
On 29 August, Ukraine announced it would soon launch an offensive in the Kherson region of southern Ukraine. Ukrainian units attacked soon after, and Russia's attention shifted to its Kherson line. While the Kherson offensive might have been genuine, Western analysts view it as part of a ploy to divert Russian forces away from Kharkiv prior to Ukraine's much larger eastern counteroffensive. In any case, Russian forces in Kharkiv were left understrength and unprepared in the days preceding 6 September.[48][49][50]
On 6 September 2022, Ukrainian forces launched a counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region,[51] taking Russian forces by surprise.[14][52][53] In a 10 September interview with the Guardian, Ukrainian special forces spokesman Taras Berezovets stated Russia "thought [the counteroffensive] would be in the south... then, instead of the south, the offensive happened where they least expected, and this caused them to panic and flee."[49]
Elements of Ukraine's25th Airborne Brigade began advancing just past 3:30 a.m. on 6 September, after several hours of Ukrainian artillery fire on Russian positions. Throughout the day, units of the 25th Brigade advanced at least 11 miles (18 km), reaching the village ofVolokhiv Yar [uk], located at a strategic road junction.[28]
On 7 September, units of Ukraine's112th Territorial Defense Brigade began storming Russian positions in the village ofMykolaiivka [uk], thus launching the Ukrainian offensive out of theChuhuiv Raion from whichShevchenkove would eventually be taken.[54] Almost simultaneously, the 125th Battalion of the113th Territorial Defense Brigade stormed the village ofVasylenkove [uk] 6 kilometres (3.7 mi) east of Mykolaiivka.[54] No later than midday on 8 September, units of the 113th Brigade advanced east alonga highway and reached Shevchenkove, linking up with Ukrainian forces which had advanced north from Balakliia.[55]
Ukrainian troops recaptured some 400 square kilometres (150 sq mi) of territory during the first two days.[56]
By 9 September, Ukraine had broken through Russian lines, with the Ukrainian military saying that it had advanced nearly 50 kilometres (31 mi) and recaptured over 1,000 square kilometres (390 sq mi) of territory.[58] This advance placed them approximately 44 kilometres (27 mi) northwest of Izium,[59] the main Russian logistics base in the region,[14] a rate of advancement largely unseen since Russia withdrew from Kyiv at the start of the war.[43]The Washington Post described the fall of Izium on 10 September as a "stunning rout";[60] theInstitute for the Study of War assessed that Ukrainian forces had captured approximately 2,500 square kilometres (970 sq mi) in the breakthrough.[61]
One military expert said that it was the first time sinceWorld War II that whole Russian units had been lost in a single battle.[33] Journalist Harald Stutte argued that the commander of the Ukrainian offensive,Valerii Zaluzhnyi, had achieved a "tactical masterstroke" during the operation, especially at Lyman.[5] In contrast, the main Russian commander opposing the Ukrainian attack,Alexander Lapin, was criticized for his lacking performance.[6]
Breakthrough
The Ukrainian flag raised inBalakliia, 8 September
On 6 September, having concentrated their forces north ofBalakliia at Pryshyb, a small village about 15 km northwest of Balakliia, Ukrainian troops launched a counteroffensive in the Kharkiv Oblast, which drove Russian forces back to the left bank of theDonets and Serednya Balakliika rivers. The Ukrainian forces involved were Ukrainian special forces, plus tanks, armoured personnel carriers and troops from the92nd Mechanized Brigade.[42][44][62]
On the same day, Ukrainian forces capturedVerbivka, about 8 km east of Pryshyb and less than 3 km northwest of Balakliia. Several Russian sources reported that Russian forces demolished unspecified bridges on the eastern outskirts of Balakliia to prevent further Ukrainian advances.[63][44] Ukrainian forces went around Balakliia in order to besiege it.[44] Some Ukrainian forces stayed near Balakliia, fighting Russian forces in the center of the city while another group went north towards Volokhiv Yar.[64]
Ukrainian troops then went on the offensive in the directions of Balakliia, Volokhiv Yar,Shevchenkove, Kupiansk and the areas ofSavyntsi and Kunye, situated east of Balakliia. According to Russian sources on this line of contact Ukrainians were opposed in some areas of the line by lightly armed forces of theDPR Militia,[13] while Ukrainian sources said that the forces in this region wereprofessional Russian soldiers, not conscripts from the Donbas.[49]
By the following day, Ukrainian forces had advanced some 20 kilometres (12 mi) into Russian-occupied territory, recapturing approximately 400 square kilometres (150 sq mi), and reaching positions northeast of Izium. Russian sources claimed this success was likely due to the relocation of Russian forces to Kherson, in response to the Ukrainian offensive there.[65]
By 7 September, Balakliia was under siege, with fighting taking place in the eastern and central parts of the city.[66] Fighting ended on 8 September, with Ukrainian forces capturing all of Balakliia.[67][failed verification] After the quick takeover of the town of Balakliia, on the same day, Ukrainian troops took overShevchenkove in a blitzkrieg. Russian forces retreated in panic towards the city ofKupiansk, while much larger Ukrainian forces continued the offensive in the direction ofIzyum andKupiansk on the same day.[68]
By 8 September, Ukrainian troops had advanced 50 kilometres (31 mi) deep into Russian defensive positions north of Izium.SOBR units of Russian National Guard forces lost control of Balakliia, about 44 km northwest of Izium,[59] although Ukraine did not establish control of the city until 10 September.[69] Near the city, Ukrainian forces recaptured the largest ammunition storage base of the Central Rocket and Artillery Directorate of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.[13] Ukrainian forces also regained control over more than 20 settlements.[70] On the same day, Ukrainian media reported that Ukrainian forces captured a high-ranking Russian officer on the Kharkiv front. Based on footage of the man, it was speculated that he was Lieutenant GeneralAndrei Sychevoi, Commander of theWestern Military District of theRussian Armed Forces.[71][72] Russian occupation authorities in the city claimed that Russian forces began to defend Kupiansk.[73][74] On the morning of 8 September, Ukraine's80th Brigade reached theOskil River at the village ofSenkove [uk].[75]
On 9 September, the Russian-backed administration ordered the evacuation into Russia of the population fromIzium,Kupiansk andVelykyi Burluk.[76] Local residents later reported that at this point Russian soldiers in the area began to flee villages, leaving behind their weaponry, before Ukrainian troops even arrived.[77] Later in the day Ukrainian forces reached Kupiansk, a vital transit hub at the junction of several of the main railway lines supplying Russian troops at the front.[78][79] The Institute for the Study of War said it believed Kupiansk would likely fall in the next 72 hours.[80] In response to the Ukrainian advance, Russian reserve units were sent as reinforcements to both Kupiansk and Izium.[81]
On 10 September, Ukrainian forces retook Kupiansk and Izium, and were reportedly advancing towardsLyman.[82][83][84] An advisor to the head of Kharkiv regional council, Natalia Popova, posted photos on Facebook of the92nd Mechanized Brigade's 1st Mechanized Battalion holding a Ukrainian flag outside Kupiansk city hall.[85][86] Ukrainian security officials and police moved into the recaptured settlements to check the identities of those who stayed under Russian occupation.[87] Later that day, Luhansk Oblast GovernorSerhiy Haidai claimed that Ukrainian soldiers had advanced into the outskirts ofLysychansk, while Ukrainian partisans had reportedly managed to capture parts ofKreminna. Haidai stated Russian forces had fled the city, leaving Kreminna "practically empty".[88][89] The same day, the 233rd Battalion of the 128th Territorial Defense Brigade took the villages ofBohodarivka [uk] andSemenivka [uk] near Shevchenkove, with the support of the 192nd Battalion of the124th Territorial Defense Brigade.[57] Also on 10 September, Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine's113th Territorial Defense Brigade had captured the village ofArtemivka [uk].[90] Units of the 113th Brigade took control ofVelykyi Burluk the next day,[91] reaching the state border near Vovchansk soon after.[54]
TheNew York Times said "the fall of the strategically important city of Izium, in Ukraine's east, is the most devastating blow to Russia since its humiliating retreat from Kyiv."[92] The Russian Ministry of Defence spokespersonIgor Konashenkov responded to these developments by claiming that Russian forces in the Balakliia and Izium area would "regroup" in the Donetsk area "in order to achieve the stated goals of the special military operation to liberate Donbas".[52] Zelenskyy claimed that Ukraine had recaptured 2,000 square kilometres (770 sq mi) since the start of the counteroffensive.[93]
On 11 September,Newsweek reported that Ukrainian forces had "penetrated Russian lines to a depth of up to 70 kilometers in some places and retaken more than 3,000 square kilometers of territory since September 6".[94]Reports that Russian troops had withdrawn fromKozacha Lopan and locals had raised the Ukrainian flag next to the town hall came in from local Ukrainian officials.[95] A map used in the briefing of the Russian Ministry of Defense on the same day confirmed that Russian forces had withdrawn from Kozacha Lopan, as well asVovchansk[96][97] and other settlements on the Ukraine-Russia border.[98] Ukrainian forces also retookVelykyi Burluk.[94][97]
Financial Times attributed western-suppliedHIMARS as one of the reasons that enabled Ukraine to overpowerRussian forces in merely 6 days, over a span of 90 km (roughly the distance betweenLondon andCambridge), and recover more than 2,500 km2 of land.[42]
Russian withdrawal from Kharkiv Oblast west of Oskil River
Ukrainian troops display buildings in liberatedIzium, 17 September 2022
North of Kharkiv, on 11 September, the 249th Battalion of Ukraine's127th Brigade announced that the village ofBorshchova [uk] had returned to Ukrainian control.[106] A local official said the same day that northwest of Kharkiv, Russian forces had abandoned the villages ofTurove [uk],Makarove [uk], andUdy.[107] The next day, the14th Brigade published footage of its fighters raising the Ukrainian flag atTernova on theRussia–Ukraine border.[108] A day later, the 127th Brigade's 247th Battalion announced that it had captured the villages ofLyptsi,Hlyboke, andStrilecha.[109]
On 12 September, according to the summary of theGeneral Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Defense Forces cleared Russian troops in more than 20 settlements, most noticeably inVelykyi Burluk andDvorichna.[110] The Russian head of the Kharkiv occupation authority,Vitaly Ganchev, revealed on Russian state mediaRussia-24 that Ukrainian forces outnumbered Russian forces by "8 times". The border with the RussianBelgorod Oblast has been closed after some 5,000 civilians were "evacuated" to Russia.[111]
Ukrainian forces retook all of Kharkiv Oblast west of theOskil River by 13 September, with media claiming that Ukrainian troops had enteredVovchansk.[112]
Other gains and casualties
In the morning of 11 September,Luhansk Oblast GovernorSerhiy Haidai claimed that Russian forces had mostly leftStarobilsk. In the same message, he claimed that Russian occupational authorities were also leaving from areas that Russia had controlled since 2014,[89][113][114] though there was no clear evidence to verify this claim.[citation needed]
Reports of the Russian military moving out of areas they formerly controlled inLuhansk Oblast began on 12 September alongside a withdrawal from the city ofSvatove;[110] however, Russian troops returned to Svatove on 14 September.[115]
On 12 September, President Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian forces had retaken a total of 6,000 km2 from Russia, in both the south and the east.[116] On 13 September, during his nightly address, he claimed that the Ukrainian military had recaptured 8,000 km2 of territory from Russia.[117]
According toOryx, Russia had lost at least 338 pieces of military hardware in the five days to 11 September. This included fighter jets, tanks and trucks that had been destroyed, damaged or captured.[118]
Following the offensive,David Axe, aForbes journalist, citing Ukrainian figures, reported that tens of thousands of Russian soldiers had been killed, captured or had deserted. By 9 September, 10,000 Russians were being encircled aroundIzium and the Oskil River, including the4th Guards Tank Division, with Ukraine capturing so many prisoners that they had "nowhere to keep [them]".[9] They also estimated that half of the11th Army Corps had been destroyed, and that it had lost over 200 military vehicles. The Ukrainians also claimed that the64th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade, which had a nominal strength of 2,500 men, had suffered 90% casualties during the battle.[119][11][120] Axe also estimated that the1st Guards Tank Army's 4th Guards Tank Division, made up of two regiments, had lost at least 100 T-80 tanks, or half of their total strength, in just 100 hours. He also stated that the Tank Army's2nd Guards Motorized Rifle Division, also consisting of two regiments, had also largely been destroyed and rendered unfit for combat as a result of the offensive.[121] However,Foreign Policy, in an analysis almost a year later, stated despite the Russian withdrawal seeming like a rout, Russian forces avoided the capture or destruction of most of their units.[122]
On 18 September, in Kharkiv Oblast, a RussianT-90M was captured - the first confirmed in the war. The tank fell to Ukrainian forces without visible damage, and was most likely abandoned by the Russian military during a hasty retreat from the Kharkiv region.[123][124]
Operations east of the Oskil River (13 September–October 2022)
President Zelenskyy with GeneralOleksandr Syrskyi in the Kharkiv Oblast, 14 September 2022
Despite Russia's reported intent to keep the front line alongOskil River,[125][126][104]: 275 Ukrainian forces had already crossed the river as early as 13 September at several locations.[127]
By 18 September, the Ukrainian military stated that it had crossed over to and controlled the east side of the Oskil River,[128] and by 24–25 September,David Axe claimed that the Ukrainian military had established at least five bridgeheads on the east side of Oskil River.[129]
Oskil River crossings in the Kharkiv Oblast
Around 13 September, Ukrainian forces crossed the river nearBorova and established a bridgehead.[127][unreliable source]
On 15 September, some Russian sources claimed Ukrainian forces set up artillery positions at Hryanykivka, across from Dvorichna on the east side of the Oskil River.[130] On 22 September,ISW reported that "Ukrainian forces have taken ground east ofDvorichna and are fighting inTavilzhanka, which is reportedly still contested territory." There were reports that Ukrainian forces liberatedHrianykivka, a settlement just west of Tavilzhanka, on 15 September when Ukraine set up artillery positions there. Thus it is "consistent with previous reporting on continued Ukrainian efforts to penetrate the current Russian defensive lines that run along the Oskil River and push eastward."[131] On 24 September, Ukrainian forces liberatedHorobivka, a settlement east ofHrianykivka on the east side of theOskil River.[132]
On 16 September, Ukrainian forces captured the eastern portion of Kupiansk on the east side of the Oskil River,[133] establishing another bridgehead over the Oskil River and thus taking control of the entire city of Kupiansk.[134] This further threatened Russian supply lines in northern Luhansk Oblast, imperiling Russian operations throughout the rest ofDonbas.[133] On 24 September, Ukrainian forces liberated Petropavlivka, 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) east ofKupiansk.[132] Ukrainian forces liberated two more settlements by 24 September: Kucherivka andPodoly.[135] The Institute for the Study of War assessed thatSynkivka in Kharkiv Oblast came under Ukrainian control on 2 October, based on statements made by the Russian defence ministry.[136]
Oskil River crossings in the Donetsk Oblast, encirclement and recapture of Lyman
Ukrainian military with destroyed weapons of Donetsk separatists, 23 September 2022Deceased Russian soldiers during the retreat from Lyman, 1 October 2022
Russian tanks abandoned by theRussian army in the retreat fromIziumDemining operations in Kharkiv Oblast, 28 September 2022
As a result of the Ukraine's "lightning counteroffensive" throughout September, Russian forces retreated toLyman, a major city in Donetsk Oblast with critical Russian supply lines. According to the British Ministry of Defense, "Lyman's operational importance was due to its command over a road crossing over the Siverskyi Donets River, behind which Russia has been attempting to consolidate its defenses."[137] On 26 September, the New York Times reported a standoff between the critical cities of then-Russian-held Lyman and Ukrainian-controlledBakhmut. With the approaching winter likely to stall both militaries, Lyman was set to be the battle that decided the eastern theater of the war.[138]
On 12 September, Ukraine'sNational Guard liberatedSviatohirsk, which Russian forces captured in June 2022, and inched closer to the administrative border between Kharkiv and Donetsk Oblasts as well asLyman, a strategicrailway town inDonetsk Oblast that Russian forces captured in late May 2022.[143][144]
Russian weaponry destroyed following the Ukrainian recapture of Sviatohirsk
On 15 September, Ukrainian forces recaptured Sosnove in Donetsk Oblast, and forced Russian forces to withdraw from Studenok, a village in Kharkiv Oblast southeast of Izium, to avoid encirclement.[130] On 23 September Ukrainian Armed Forces liberated the village ofYatskivka inDonetsk Oblast according to Oleksii Hromov, deputy head of operations directorate of the general staff of UAF.[145] On 25 September, Ukrainian forces likely obtained control of Maliivka, a settlement just north of the Kharkiv-Donetsk border.[146]
On 26 September, Ukrainian forces advanced north from Donetsk Oblast and liberatedPisky-Radkivski. The settlement is on the east side of the Oskil River in Kharkiv Oblast, located 35 kilometres (22 mi) northwest ofLyman.[135] Kupiansk-Vuzlovyi was captured on the same day.[147]
On 27 September, further incremental gains were reported east of the Oskil river, with Ukrainian forces entering the towns of Ridkodub and Korovyi Yar.[148]
On 28 September, Ukrainian forces entered the town ofNovoselivka located in the Donetsk region, a strategic crossing point about 12 km northwest of Lyman, on the left bank of the Oskil River.[149]
On 30 September, Ukrainian forces liberatedYampil, a key village 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) to the southeast of Lyman. A pro-RussianTelegram channel reported that Ukrainian forces managed to "break through Russian defenses, forcing Russian troops to retreat to Lyman."[150][151]Zelenskyy also reported that Ukrainian troops had captured the town ofDrobysheve, 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) to the northwest of Lyman.[152]
On 1 October, video footage emerged of Ukrainian troops raising theUkrainian flag at an entrance toLyman, and there were reportedly up to 5,000 Russian troops encircled within the city.[153][154] Serhii Cherevatyi, spokesperson for Ukraine's eastern forces, claimed that Ukrainian forces successfully surroundedRussian forces in the city. Ukrainian forces advanced into the city, and according toThe Guardian, the battle in Lyman "was a bloody rout." Russian officers had refused invitations to surrender, so Russian troops fled in a disorganized manner. The city was significantly damaged during the Russian occupation, with locals stating only a few hundred remained of the 27,000 who lived in Lyman before the war.[155] Russian authorities confirmed the loss of Lyman later that afternoon.[156][4] Initially, there were no clear estimates of casualties during the battle.Associated Press reporters noted that at least 18 Russian bodies remained on the streets on 3 October.[157] Later, however, the Ukrainians claimed to have killed over 1,500 Russian soldiers during the retaking of the city.[12]
The gains came a day after Russian president Putin announcedannexation of Russian-occupied territories at a ceremony in Moscow, claiming the occupied regions of Ukraine, including theDonbas, were now integral Russian territory. Retired US Lieutenant GeneralBen Hodges said that "[the recapture of Lyman] puts in bright lights that [Putin's] claim is illegitimate and cannot be enforced."[158]
The Institute for the Study of War assessedYampolivka [uk] in Donetsk Oblast had come under Ukrainian control on 2 October, based on statements made by the Russian defence ministry.[136]
Operations in Luhansk Oblast
On 19 September, video footage confirmed that Ukrainian forces had liberated the village ofBilohorivka inLuhansk Oblast, signifying that Russia no longer maintained full control of the region.[159]
On 2 October, Ukrainian troops recaptured Dibrova in theLuhansk Oblast.[160]
Continued Ukrainian advances
On 3 October, Ukrainian forces enteredBorova and Shyikivka in Kharkiv Oblast.[136] Some Ukrainian sources claimed that Russian forces had also fled from Nyzhche Solone, Pidlyman, Nyzhnia Zhuravka in Kharkiv Oblast, with Ukrainian authorities regaining control in these settlements.[161][162] Russian sources said that Ukrainian forces were conducting reconnaissance-in-force atZahoriukivka [uk] and were planning to advance eastward from Kupiansk and Petropavlivka.[136]Iziumske andDruzheliubivka [uk] in Kharkiv Oblast came under Ukrainian control the same day, according to Ukrainian sources. Ukrainian forces also reportedly tookTerny andTorske in Donetsk Oblast. Russian sources suggested that Ukrainian forces would launch an attack onKreminna.[136]
Ukrainian officials claimed the next day that the Ukrainian forces had retaken control of the Kreminna-Svatove Highway, although the ISW disputed this, and continued to consider it Russian-controlled as of 4 October.[163][164]
By 5 October images appeared on social media of Ukrainian troops at the entrance sign to Hrekivka[165] andMakiivka, 20 km southwest ofSvatove.[166]
On 24 October, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces announced the recapture of four settlements: Nevske, Miasozharivka and Karmazynivka inLuhansk Oblast, and Novosadove inDonetsk Oblast.[168] According to the Russian sources, Ukrainian forces also took control of the Kreminna-Svatove Highway.[169]
Reactions
Russia
CPRF leaderGennady Zyuganov calls for mobilization at the first meeting of the State Duma after the counteroffensive began
On 7 September 2022, a day after the start of the Ukrainian offensive, Putin claimed during his speech at theEastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok that "We have not lost anything and will not lose anything" in the war in Ukraine.[170][171]
The near-complete silence of the Russian authorities on the defeat – or any explanation for the developments there – generated considerable anger among some pro-war commentators andRussian nationalists on social media. On 11 September, some called for President Vladimir Putin to make immediate changes to ensure final victory in the war,[172] with a number of pro-war bloggers calling formobilization inside Russia.[173] Russian state-funded media later criticized the defeat, with a pro-Kremlin tabloid blaming "supply and manpower shortages, poor coordination, and tactical mistakes orchestrated by military officials".[174]
The former separatist commander and pro-war military bloggerIgor Girkin said on social media that Russian Defence MinisterSergei Shoigu should be executed byfiring squad, and he publicly expressed his belief that "the war in Ukraine will continue until the complete defeat of Russia. We have already lost; the rest is just a matter of time."[175] He said that full mobilization in Russia remained the "last chance" for victory.[176] Pro-Kremlin war journalistAlexander Kots publicly stated that "We need to do something about the system where our leadership doesn't like to talk about bad news, and their subordinates don't want to upset their superiors."[175]
On the evening of 10 September, a festive fireworks display took place in Moscow. Many pro-war politicians inside Russia, like the leader ofA Just Russia — For TruthSergey Mironov, allegedly called for its cancellation before the event.[179][180]
Chechen leaderRamzan Kadyrov questioned Russian leadership of the war, writing on Telegram:[181] "They have made mistakes and I think they will draw the necessary conclusions. If they don't make changes in the strategy of conducting the special military operation in the next day or two, I will be forced to contact the leadership of the Defense Ministry and the leadership of the country to explain the real situation on the ground."[182]
Many outside Russia interpreted subsequent Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure[186] as an attempt to at least partially satisfy demands of radical war supporters in Russia, who called for further escalation of Russian tactics.[187][188]
On 20 September, the State Duma introduced amendments to the Penal Code, introducing terms "mobilization", "martial law" and inserting Articles "Marauding" and "Surrendering voluntarily".[189] On 20 September, pro-Kremlin administrations in different Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine announced "referendums" on merging these territories with Russia.[190] Analysts consider that one of the aims of such a formal annexation of the territories is to give Putin a pretext of "defending Russian territory" if he needs to order a mobilization of Russia's conscripts.[191]
On 21 September, Russian President Vladimir Putinannounced a partial mobilisation.[192][193][194] On 26 September, the British Ministry of Defense said that many new conscripts were already being deployed in Ukraine without any training or proper equipment.[195] Some of the mobilized Russian men were killed less than two weeks after being drafted, includingSt. Petersburg lawyer Andrei Nikiforov, who was killed near the Ukrainian city ofLysychansk on 7 October. This indicated that Russian men are being sent to the front withoutbasic military training, which would contradict Putin's promise that all mobilized civilians would undergo basic training before being sent into combat.[196]
Worldwide
TheInstitute for the Study of War (ISW) noted that the rapid pace of the Ukrainian counteroffensive was disrupting the Russian army's long-heldground lines of communication, used to supply the Russian army in northernLuhansk Oblast, and would lead to a serious hindrance to Russia's operations according to ISW's analysis.[17] As of 11 September, ISW noted that Western weapons were necessary for the success of Ukraine, but not enough, and skillful planning and execution of the campaign played a decisive role in the lightning success. ISW contended that long preparations and the announcement of a counter-offensive in the Kherson region had confused the Russians, leading to a diversion of the Russian army's attention away from the Kharkiv region, where the Ukrainian army subsequently struck.[50]
On 10 September, representatives of theBritish Ministry of Defence suggested that the Russian army practically had not defended most of the territories recaptured by Ukraine.[18]
Reuters and theBBC called the loss of Izium, which the Russian army had been trying to occupy for over a month at the start of the invasion, a "great humiliation" for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Moscow's worst defeat since the retreat from Kyiv in March.[18][197]Financial Times ran an article on 28 September depicting the counteroffensive as "[the] 90km journey that changed the course of the war in Ukraine."[42][specify] According to ISW, the recapture of Izium, occupied in early April, destroyed Russia's prospect of seizing the Donetsk Oblast.[50]
According to Ukrainian foreign ministerDmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's counteroffensives proved that the Ukrainian military could end the war faster with more Western weapons, a statement that President Zelenskyy echoed on 12 September.[198] Ukraine's successes in Kharkiv Oblast served as a crucial confidence boost forKyiv, which is increasingly reliant on its Western allies for military aid.[18]
After the successful recapture of the region from Russian forces, Ukrainian authorities discovered torture chambers that Russian troops had been using during their time in control of the area, including in the villages ofBalakliia andKozacha Lopan. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that more than ten torture chambers, along with mass graves, had been discovered in the Kharkiv areas liberated by Ukrainian troops.[200][201][202]
As Ukrainian forces entered the towns of Balakliia and Izium, they found numerous places where Russian occupation forces held Ukrainian civilians prisoner, with evidence of torture and executions.[203] Russian forces also reportedly abducted sevenSri Lankan students.[204] The death toll among civilians as result of the initial Russian siege and subsequent occupation was initially estimated at 1,000 residents. After the expulsion of Russian forces, witnesses described that Russians detained, abducted, tortured and executed local residents during the occupation; a number of burial sites were found.[205] InSviatohirsk,Donetsk Oblast, according to the Security Service of Ukraine, a place of detention was found near theSviatohirsk Lavra, with items indicating signs of torture.[206]
Ukrainian police officers found evidence of a torture chamber that housed 40 civilians in the basement of the Balakliia police station.[207] The locals that remained in the city claimed that unlike other areas under Russian occupation likeBucha andIrpin, Russian occupation forces were generally much more tame in their treatment of civilians.[207]
Exhumation of the bodies fromIzium mass graves buried in Pishanske cemetery started on 15 September, and the police revealed that most victims were civilians.[208] Some bodies of civilians and soldiers had traces of torture, hands tied and rope around their necks, suggesting they were not killed in battle or bombing, but executed as prisoners.[209] Russian diplomats dismissed the claims as a "provocation"[210] and Kremlin spokesmanDmitry Peskov rejected Ukraine's accusations as a "lie",[211] but satellite images thatMaxar published confirmed presence of the graves before the Ukrainian counteroffensive.[212][213] In total, ten torture and execution sites were discovered in the town of Izium.[214] In Lyman, 152 civilians and 35 Ukrainian soldiers were exhumed from mass graves.[215]
Military decorations
Zelenskyy awarding a soldier near the front line in the Kharkiv Oblast
On 12 September,Meduza reported that, per two sources close to the Kremlin, the proposedreferendums for the annexation of the self-proclaimed Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics had been postponed indefinitely, following earlier postponement from 11 September to 4 November.[218] However, the counteroffensives in Kherson and Kharkiv ultimately brought forward the2022 annexation referendums in Russian-occupied Ukraine, which Russian officials rescheduled from November to late September 2022.[46]
Russian losses
According to both Western and Ukrainian sources, the Russians lost 200 tanks to "destruction or capture" during the Kharkiv operation. Of the 100 tanks captured by Ukrainian forces during the first three weeks, two-thirds wereT-72s, while the rest wereT-80s, and at least oneT-90. Also captured were 100BMP fighting vehicles, 43BTRs, 14 R-149MA1 and eight R-149MA3 command vehicles, as well as three dozen 152mm artillery pieces and more than a dozen Grad MLRs. In addition, "hundreds" of anti-tank weapons and "tens of thousands" of artillery rounds were also reported to have been captured.[219]
On 17 September, Zelenskyy claimed that several hundred Russian soldiers had been taken prisoner since the offensive was launched.[220]
During November, there were little territorial changes due tothe muddy terrain, although fierce battles raged every day. Much of the Russian defense line in northern Luhansk oblast became staffed with newly mobilized Russian conscripts throughout November.[221][222] In early December, Ukrainian forces broke through Russian lines aroundChervonopopivka, with fighting mostly centered west of the R-66 highway connecting Kreminna and Svatove.[223] On 18 December, a geolocated video showed Ukrainian forces advancing in theSerebriansky forest south ofKreminna.[224]
^McCann, Allison; Gamio, Lazaro; Lu, Denise; Robles, Pablo (17 March 2022)."Russia Is Destroying Kharkiv".The New York Times.Archived from the original on 20 September 2022. Retrieved11 September 2022.
^Hird, Karolina; Mappes, Grace; Barros, George; Philipson, Layne; Clark, Mason (7 September 2022)."Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, September 7".Institute for the Study of War.Archived from the original on 9 September 2022. Retrieved9 September 2022.
^abStepanenko, Kateryna; Mappes, Grace; Barros, George; Philipson, Layne; Clark, Mason (8 September 2022)."Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, September 8".Institute for the Study of War.Archived from the original on 9 September 2022. Retrieved9 September 2022.
^Karolina Hird; Grace Mappes; George Barros; Layne Philipson; Mason Clark (7 September 2022)."Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, September 7".Institute for the Study of War.Archived from the original on 9 September 2022. Retrieved10 September 2022.
^abTrofimov, Yaroslav (2024).Our Enemies Will Vanish: The Russian invasion and Ukraine's war of independence. New York: Random House.ISBN9780593655184.
^Солодовнік, Марія (11 September 2022)."Окупанти залишили територію Золочівської громади на Харківщині — селищний голова".Suspilne (in Ukrainian). Retrieved23 July 2025.Люди бачили, як вони сідали в автобуси й виїжджали з населених пунктів, які були тимчасово окуповані, це Турово, Макарово. На сьогодні, за даними місцевих, москалі відійшли звідти у сторону Козачої Лопані, а російські військові, які стояли біля Уд, покинули свої позиції й відійшли на територію РФ
^Abdul, Geneva; Murray, Warren (October 2022)."Ukrainian forces enter Lyman".www.theguardian.com.Archived from the original on 1 October 2022. Retrieved1 October 2022.
^Hird, Karolina; Lawlor, Katherine; Bailey, Riley; Mappes, Grace; Barros, George; Kagan, Frederick (5 October 2022)."Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, October 5".Institute for the Study of War.Archived from the original on 16 July 2023. Retrieved6 October 2022.
^Sarovic, Alexander; Dondyuk, Maxim (27 September 2022)."The Torture Chambers of Balakliya".Spiegel.Archived from the original on 30 September 2022. Retrieved30 September 2022.
^Hayes, Tara Subramaniam,Aditi Sangal,Sana Noor Haq,Mike."Russia's war in Ukraine".CNN. Retrieved17 October 2022.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
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