Ukrainian Offensive Reshape’s the War’s Contours

“A lightning Ukrainian offensive in the country’s northeast has reshaped what had become a grinding war of attrition. In a matter of days, Russian front lines have buckled, Moscow’s troops have fled and one village after another has come once more beneath Ukraine’s yellow and blue banner,” the New York Times reports.

“Ukrainian officials said on Saturday that their troops had taken the eastern city of Izium, a strategically important railway hub that Russian forces seized in the spring after a bloody, weekslong battle.”

“Russia’s Ministry of Defense — which a day earlier had said it was moving to reinforce its defensive positions in the region — confirmed on Saturday that it had pulled its forces out of Izium to ‘regroup.’ While the statement sought to portray the withdrawal as a pre-planned move, the military equipment left scattered about pointed to a hasty retreat to avoid encirclement.”