Ukraine’s surprise counter-offensive has achieved much more than the recapture of some 3,800 sq km of territory in the north-east of the country. It has, say Ukrainian officials, flipped the battlefield dynamic in the Donbas region, a focal point of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Moscow’s stated aim, after losing the battle to seize Kyiv in March, was to “liberate” the entire eastern Donbas region by encircling the cities of Kramatorsk, Slovyansk and Bakhmut. The plan was to close in on Ukrainian positions from three directions — north, south and east. But progress all but ground to a halt after Russia made costly territorial gains in July.
The lightning counter-offensive has enabled Ukrainian forces to cut off Russia’s attack from the north, the most threatening direction of Moscow’s offensive. As they push further to the east, Ukraine’s forces will now focus on trying to outflank Russian positions and sever more of their supply lines.