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Putin’s Nightmare: Ukraine Offensive Reclaims Huge 1,000 Sq Km of Territory

M777 Artillery Like in Ukraine
Soldiers, with team Deadpool, B Battery, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, Division Artillery, 1st Armored Division, fire a M777 Howitzer, during the Two Gun Raid September 20 at Oro Grande Range Complex, N.M. 2-3 FA conducts the Two Gun Raid and table VI qualification annually. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. Michael Eaddy). This is similar to the artillery engaged in Ukraine.

Can Ukraine defeat Russia? In his nightly address on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy paid tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away on Thursday afternoon. The Ukrainian president also announced significant gains made by his military in the wake of the latest counteroffensive launched over the last week.

Zelenskyy described how, since the beginning of the month, his military had liberated huge swathes of Ukraine, totaling more than one thousand square kilometers.

“In total, more than a thousand square kilometers of our territory have been liberated since September 1,” Zelenskyy said. “I am grateful to everyone who made it happen! I am grateful to the army, intelligence officers, and special services for every Ukrainian flag that has been hoisted these days.”

Zelenskyy added that he discussed the needs of commanders of operational areas at a meeting on Thursday, and that “certain decisions” are being made. Meanwhile, all state activity will remain “focused on the needs of the front” and the protection of the Ukrainian people.

It’s a positive development for Ukraine, especially after Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych said in late August that people should not expect too much of the counteroffensive in the short term.

“Of course, many would like a large-scale offensive with news about the capture by our military of a settlement in an hour,” he said. “But we don’t fight like that…funds are limited.”

Within less than two weeks, Ukraine’s counteroffensive already has Russia rattled.

Ukraine Getting Help From Turkey: Expert Analysis

Speaking during a press conference earlier that day, Ukraine’s Brigadier General Oleksiy Gromov said that Ukrainian forces had now advanced to only 30 miles behind Russian lines, recapturing over 20 villages in the Kharkiv region in the process.

The general said that the gains were made in part thanks to Turkish-supplied TB2 Bayraktar drones – winged UAVs that can be used for launching strikes and reconnaissance and surveillance purposes.

“Enemy infantry and motorized artillery units unprotected by air defence systems become easy pretty for our Bayraktars, the quantity of which is always increasing, thanks to our volunteers,” Gromov said.

Russia was forced to acknowledge Ukraine’s gains and stressed that its military was at least able to prevent the loss of one town in the Kharkiv region.

M777 like in Ukraine

U.S. Soldiers assigned to Attack Battery, 2-12th Field Artillery Battalion, Task Force Rock, 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, conducts registration and calibration for the M777 A2 Howitzer weapon system in Syria on Sept. 30, 2021. These exercises enable gun sections to deliver timely and accurate fires in support of TF Rock and their fight to defeat Daesh in designated areas of Syria. (U.S. Army photo by Cpl. Isaiah Scott). These are similar to the M777 pieces serving in Ukraine.

The news is significant for another reason, too – it’s the first time that Ukraine has offered any details of its counter-offensive. Since making the announcement last week, Ukrainian officials have kept quiet about progress over fears of alerting the Russians to their plans- and that silence appears to have paid off.

Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.

Written By

Jack Buckby is 19FortyFive's Breaking News Editor. He is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society.

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