Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian forces have liberated more territory since early autumn than Russian troops have managed to capture over the same period. He made the statement in his evening video address after a report by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Mykhailo Drapati.
“We are seeing results on the front“, Zelensky said. He said Ukrainian forces are repelling Russian assaults and infiltration attempts near Dobropilya, while simultaneously defending their positions in other areas of Donetsk, Kharkiv and Zaporizhia regions.
Kiev disputes Russian claims of offensive
Zelensky said that Dobropilya remains under Ukrainian control. He also listed Konstantinovka, Oleksievo-Druzhkivka, Orekhov, Novopavlovka, Novoandreevka and Velikomykhaylovka as settlements that are also under Kiev's control. Ukrainian forces also continue to defend areas near Kramatorsk.
“Since the beginning of autumn, our soldiers have liberated more territory than the Russians managed to capture,“ the Ukrainian president said. He linked the progress to the operations of the Airborne Assault Troops and the Third Army Corps, as well as to the actions of Ukrainian forces in the framework of active defense.
His statement contradicted information presented by the Chief of the Russian General Staff Valery Gerasimov on October 17. He said that Russian troops had captured 92 settlements since the beginning of September, including Dobropilya and Oleksievo-Druzhkivka, and had moved within 5 kilometers of Zaporizhia.
Zelensky rejected this assessment and said that Russian forces were about 20 kilometers from Zaporizhia, where Ukrainian troops were attacking them. The Ukrainian General Staff also refuted Russian claims about the capture of several settlements.
Fighting continues in several directions
According to Zelensky, the situation near Dobropilya remains difficult, but Ukrainian forces are destroying Russian assault groups and stopping attempts to penetrate. He did not specify the specific area of the liberated territory or the number of settlements returned to Ukrainian control in the fall.
The territorial estimates of Kiev and Moscow have not been independently confirmed. Data shows that fighting continues simultaneously in Donetsk, Kharkiv and Zaporizhia regions, and control over individual settlements remains the subject of mutually contradictory claims.
Sources: streetinsider.com