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To see a list of previous articles, enter “Ukraine” in the Search Box on the upper right, on The Trenchant Observer web site, and you will see a list in chronological order.

Dispatches

1) Alfred Hackensberger, “Ukraine durchbricht zweiten Verteidigungsring – so nah ist jetzt ein Wendepunkt des Krieges;, Die Welt, den 9. September 2022;

2) Alfred Hackensberger, “Ukraine breaks through the second ring of defense – a turning point in the war is so close;, Die Welt, September 9, 2022;

3) Oliver Imhof, “Worauf es für die ukrainischen Truppen bei Charkiw jetzt ankommt; In rasantem Tempo erobern Kiews Soldaten verlorene Gebiete in der Region Charkiw zurück. Aber das Territorium auch zu halten, wird schwierig. Mehrere russische Schwächen könnten den Ukrainern dabei helfen,” Der Spiegel, den 9. September 2022 (20.26 Uhr);

4) Thomas Grove and Evan Gershkovich, “In Major Advance, Ukraine Drives Russians Out of Key Front-Line Cities; Kyiv marks its biggest strategic gain since mounting northeastern offensive this week,” Wall Street Journal, September 10, 2022 (updated (12:48 p.m. ET);

5) Sergei Kuznetsov, “Russian forces in full retreat from Kharkiv as Ukraine seeks to turn tide of war; Vladimir Putin remained silent on the retreat — and spent Saturday inaugurating a Ferris wheel, Politico, September 10, 2022 (7:36 p.m. ET);

6) “Soldaten hissen ukrainische Flagge in zurückeroberten Gebieten; Die ukrainische Armee rückt im Nordosten vor, manche sprechen schon vom »großartigsten Tag in der modernen Geschichte«. Putins Armee scheint mit der Geschwindigkeit überfordert, Der Spiegel, den 10. September 2022 (20.00 Uhr);

7) Oliver Imhof und Alexander Sarovic (Mykolajiw), “Der Wendepunkt; Massive Geländegewinne binnen Stunden, abziehende russische Truppen: Die Ukraine düpiert die Invasoren – und übernimmt militärisch die Initiative. Ein Offizier sagt: ‘Der Feind gerät in Panik,'” Der Spiegel, den 10. September 2022 (20:23 Uhr);

8) Andrew E. Kramer, “For Ukraine, the Fight Is Often a Game of Bridges; The southern counteroffensive has been a painstaking battle of river crossings, with pontoon bridges as prime targets for both sides. But so far, it is Ukraine that has advance,” New York Times, September 10, 2022 (1:26 p.m. ET);

9) Steve Hendrix, Robyn Dixon, Liz Sly, Serhii Korolchuk and Mary Ilyushina, “Russian troops in big retreat as Ukraine offensive advances in Kharkiv,”
Washington Post, September 10, 2022 (11:07 a.m. EDT, updated at 2:36 p.m. EDT);

Analysis

Hackensberger reports on a major advance of Ukrainian forces near Kharkiv, where units advanced as much as 80 kilometers or 50 miles, and are now within striking distance of a major rail junction and supply line for the Russian forces in the East and the South. He also reports on advances in the southern region of Kherson, where Ukrainian forces have largely cut supply lines to Russian forces on the West side of the Dnipo river.

Hackensberger writes:

Revised Google translation

American support has been critically important in making these gains.

The above successes required extensive planning and, above all, intelligence. Spying on enemy logistics over a long period of time requires reconnaissance planes and military satellites — which Ukraine doesn’t have. But it has the United States as a partner, which is also Kiev’s most important arms supplier. “We help with all security-related questions,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby admitted months ago. It was not for nothing that Ukraine attacked one of the weakest Russian units in Kharkiv. It is said to have been undermanned by up to 50 percent and had neither sufficient armament nor reserves.

In the Kherson region, he reports, the Ukrainians have taken out the main bridges and quickly destroy pontoon bridges when they are built:

In Kherson, for days more and more warehouses, bases and troop quarters have been blowing up. American AGM-88 Harm missiles destroy Russian radar systems. On the Dnipro, shells hit every newly built pontoon bridge of the Russian troops. This would not be possible without high-tech reconnaissance, such as that the United States has. U.S. media even report that the Pentagon has also been providing strategic  advice to the Ukrainian army leadership. Originally, Kyiv wanted to launch a broader offensive, but the U.S. reportedly  advised selective attacks.

These sre dramatic advances. As Der Spiegel (6) observes,

Revised Google translation

As is always the case in war, one should also be careful with reports from the Ukrainian side. But one thing now seems at least possible: the Russian army could collapse in eastern Ukraine.

The Trenchant Observer

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