Zelensky visits Izyum as Ukraine advances

RUSSIA / FSU POLITICS - In Brief 15 Sep 2022 by Alex Teddy

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On September 15 the Ukrainian President visited the recently liberated city. Ukrainian Forces are pushing deeper into the Donbas. Western analysts think that this counter-offensive may soon run out of steam. Ukrainian supply lines are being stretched. Russian resistance is stiffening.  Zelensky posted on social media how the Ukrainian Flag had been raised in Izyum and he vowed victory. He said his forces had achieved what everyone thought impossible. Zelensky said Ukraine shall retake Crimea which Russia regards as its own sovereign soil. Ukraine is keen to prove to the West arms are being put to good use. Moreover, Ukraine wants to regain as much land as possible before winter makes campaigning very slow. Ukrainian troops have been trained in Western land. 5 000 Ukrainian troops trained in the UK have returned to Ukraine and another 5 000 are still being trained in the UK. Since September 6 Ukraine claims to have retaken 8 500 km. This is probably an exaggeration. Were it not for the death of Elizabeth II then Ukraine's victories would be much bigger news.  Russia claims to be doing well in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. Russia has been hitting Ukrainian infrastructure and possibly caused a river to flood.  On September 14 the German Chancellor spoke by phone to Putin. Putin had no regrets and refused to withdraw.  On September 14 the EU affirmed that its sanctions against Russia would remain. The EU is more sanguine than it was about the economic cost to Europe. EU has storage facilities are at 80% which is only a little below average for this time of year. Energy prices inflation seem to be slowly dipping.