Ukraine has launched a counteroffensive not only in the country's south but also in the northeast. "While Putin's southern forces are locked in fighting or digging trenches, a second front has opened up in northeastern Ukraine," Oleksi Arestovych, Advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, wrote on Telegram.
The attack takes place in conjunction with the southern counteroffensive in the Kherson region. "We are advancing across almost the entire front line." According to the government advisor, Russia is moving forward in the eastern Ukrainian city of Bachmoet, but "without success."
Arestovych is hopeful that Ukraine can defeat Russian forces in Kherson "in the coming months," adding that he expects a "significant advance" in the east. "The Russian army will not be as strong as it was at the beginning of the summer."
In addition, the British Ministry of Defence wrote in its latest intelligence update on 7 September that there is now heavy fighting on three fronts: in the north near the city of Kharkiv, in the east in the Donbas region, and in Kherson in the south.
The map below is the latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 07 September 2022. Credit: British Ministry of Defence
Russia's main efforts are reportedly being placed an advance on Bakhmut in the Donbas, according to British intelligence.
However, commanders now face a dilemma on whether to focus on this offensive, or defend against Ukrainian advances in the south.
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It is unclear whether the northeastern attack around Kharkiv has been a surprise for Russia. "If the Ukrainians have achieved operational surprise around Kharkiv, will demonstrate just how the Russian military is in disarray," said Philip O'Brien, Professor of Strategic Studies at The University of St.Andrews, on Twitter.
"I assumed through all the different monitoring devices (from satellites, to UAVs to cyber and more) that such operational surprise would be…Almost impossible. Plus it’s right over the border from Russia. If the Russians missed this, their military is in worse shape than expected. Also a really good sign that Ukraine has its security in the best possible shape," O'Brien continued.
He added that Russia may have known an attack in Kharkiv was ongoing but was not able to counter it. "If so, that’s a disarray of a different kind and shows the inflexibility in the Russian military."
