Ukraine Map Reveals Gains Made in Counteroffensive So Far
A new map shows the territory Ukraine says it has reclaimed from Moscow since the start of its long-touted counteroffensive against Russian forces. Newsweek could not independently verify this map.
Ukraine said it has seized control of several towns and villages along the southern front with Russia in recent days, which appears to be corroborated by a map published on Wednesday by Twitter monitoring account, War Mapper.
Ukraine is in the early stages of its long-anticipated counteroffensive, which was originally expected to take place during spring. Although Kyiv officials have remained tight-lipped about the details of these operations, Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, confirmed earlier in June that the assault against Moscow's troops was underway.
Ukrainian soldiers ride on an armoured vehicle near Lyman in the Donetsk region in 2022. Ukraine says it has seized control of several towns and villages along the southern front with Russia in recent days. YASUYOSHI CHIBA/AFP via Getty Images
Seven settlements in the contested territories in southern and eastern Ukraine have been recaptured by Kyiv, Ukrainian military spokesperson Andriy Kovalev told domestic media on Tuesday.
Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister, Hanna Maliar, said on Monday that these retaken villages included Makarivka and Blahodatne, two settlements in Donetsk that are close to the border with Zaporizhzhia, which are now marked as recently reclaimed in the new map. Russia's Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that it had repelled three attacks by Ukraine in Makarivka.
The Institute for the Study of War think tank said Ukrainian forces had made "further limited territorial gains" on June 13, after several days of advancing in at least three directions.
"Battles continue in the areas east of Makarivka," Ukraine's General Staff said on Wednesday morning.
Update:
🇺🇦 have taken back control of the settlement of Makarivka on the southern front. pic.twitter.com/wR4fAYHCVW — War Mapper (@War_Mapper) June 14, 2023
Russian President Vladimir Putin had said the counteroffensive had started ahead of Kyiv's confirmation, and on Tuesday said Ukraine was carrying out "large-scale" operations. But Kyiv "did not succeed in any of the sectors," according to a Kremlin readout.
"The Armed Forces of Ukraine suffer catastrophic losses in manpower and equipment," the Russian Defense Ministry said.
However, Ukraine's General Staff said in a statement on Wednesday that Moscow's forces "are in panic mode" and are sustaining "crazy losses in manpower."
In his latest nightly address, Zelensky said there had been "advancement in different areas" along the front. Referencing specific units involved in the counteroffensive effort, he added: "Thank you for every step and for every meter of Ukrainian land that is being liberated from Russian evil."
Ukraine's Chief of the Armed Forces, Valery Zaluzhny, is reported to have told the U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, "We have certain successes, we are implementing our plans, we are moving forward."
In an apparent contradiction of Putin's comments, Russian oligarch and Wagner Group mercenary chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin, said it was too early to work out whether Kyiv was succeeding in its efforts, adding the counteroffensive's "potential is far, far from exhausted."
Russia should wait around six to eight weeks to determine whether Ukraine has been successful with this concerted push, he added in a statement posted to social media on Tuesday.
Newsweek has reached out to the Russian Defense Ministry for comment via email.
Source: Newsweek
