Russians ‘fled like Olympic sprinters’ as Ukraine recaptured territories: Kyiv's commander

As Ukrainian armed forces launched a fierce counteroffensive in the north-east of the country, Russian troops "fled like Olympic sprinters," abandoning their tanks and military equipment  and even grabbing bicycles to escape," Ukrainian commander Petro Kuzyk whose strategy led to the collapse of Russian forces in the north-east, told Financial Times on Sunday.

Ukrainian army's careful planning, resolve, and astute use of limited western military equipment helped liberate approximately 3,000 square kilometres in just six days, Kuzyk said. The recent recapture of the Ukrainian territories is significantly the Ukraine military's biggest victory since it they pushed out the invader Russian troops back from the capital Kyiv in March. The counteroffensive also marks a turning point in the seven months long armed conflict.

Credit: AP

Ukrainian troops on Sunday pressed a counteroffensive in the northeastern part of Russian-occupied regions as a nuclear power plant in the south was completely cut off from power in a bid to prevent a radiation disaster as a tough battle ensued. Kyiv's forces successfully reclaimed the area, and Moscow's troops were coerced to pull out in order to avoid war casualties. As they were encircled by the Ukrainian military, Russian soldiers ended up leaving behind significant numbers of weapons and munitions in a hasty retreat as the conflict marked the 200th day on Sunday.

'They don’t only stop fighting, they tend to flee': Ukrainian Commander

The military adviser to Ukraine’s defence ministry also revealed, that when the asymmetric advantage that they have in artillery is gone, "they don’t only stop fighting, they tend to flee." Oleksii Reznikov, Kyiv's defence minister, referred to as it a “David versus Goliath” strategy that involved capturing and blocking key railway and logistics hubs that the Russian forces use to manoeuvre artillery and weapons. First, the Ukrainians launched a counteroffensive on Balakliia, where Russian defences had been “chaotically organised  with a well-guarded first line," according to Kuzyk. 

Russia’s Defense Ministry, in an official statement, said Russian troops were pulling back from two areas in Ukraine’s eastern Kharkiv region escaping the apparent advancement of Ukraine's soldiers in the country’s second-largest city. “The Russian army in these days is demonstrating the best that it can do — showing its back,” said Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a recorded message shared by his office Saturday night. “And, of course, it’s a good decision for them to run.” 

Videos circulating on social media depicted Ukrainian forces on the outskirts of Izyum at a roadside checkpoint. Britain’s Defense Ministry in its intelligence update said that the Ukrainian troops advanced as much as 50 kilometres (30 miles) south of Kharkiv, surrounding the Russian forces around Izyum as they became “increasingly isolated.”

A Russian paratrooper fires a Russian man-portable missile on a mission on the Nikolaev-Krivoy Rog direction in Ukraine. Credit: Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP

“Their entire arsenal of weapons along the Izyum axis was captured,” Kuzan stated. “The Russians have an advantage in weaponry, but the speed of our forces did not allow them to exploit it.”

“Our counter-offensive was long prepared,” said Kuzyk, the commander in the Svoboda swift reaction force of Ukraine’s national guard told the paper. “We degraded their potential with constant and accurate strikes . . . The general staff [also] distracted them into thinking the big counter-offensive was to come in the south," he furthermore stressed. As Ukrainians plunged into the Russian captured region, rather abruptly, the Russian forces in the south-eastern corner of Kharkiv province were forced to flee leaving the meals that were still set out on the canteen table, as well as tonnes of ammunition near the trenches they had dug. 

“We hoped for success but didn’t expect such cowardly behaviour,” Kuzyk continued. “They abandoned their tanks and equipment . . . even grabbed bicycles to escape. That the Russian army is completely degraded made our work easier; they fled like Olympic sprinters.”