Russia’s command and control in Ukraine is facing collapse, British intelligence said in a briefing on Thursday, noting that some Russian troops were withdrawing in “panic”. Ukraine has made significant advances in the northern region of Kharkiv since it first launched a long-awaited major counter-offensive earlier this month, and according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, around 400 towns and cities have been “liberated”, including strategically important positions. such as Izium. “Almost the entire area is occupied,” he said in a speech on Thursday morning. “It was an unprecedented move by our warriors – the Ukrainians have once again managed to do what many thought was impossible.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy poses for a photo with soldiers after attending a national flag-raising ceremony in liberated Izium, Ukraine, Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022. (AP Photo/Leo Correa) GRAHAM, BLUMenthal INVITE RUSSIA TO JOIN STATE SPONSORS OF TERROR, WHOSE CRIMES ARE ‘GENOCIDE’ Western defense officials also noted the success of Ukraine’s military and said some Russian forces were forced to retreat across their borders. “The manner in which Russian forces have withdrawn over the past week has varied,” the UK Ministry of Defense said in its daily briefing. “Some units retreated in relatively good order and under control, while others fled in apparent panic.” The ministry said some “high-value” equipment was abandoned by Russian forces, which officials said they believed were taken by surprise by the Ukrainian counterattack. Reports this week said Ukrainian troops captured or destroyed 100 tanks in 100 hours in a campaign to the east. UK defense officials noted that Kyiv had crushed part of Russia’s elite 1st Guards tank army, which it described as “one of the most famous Russian armies deployed for the defense of Moscow”. A Ukrainian soldier shows a V sign above a vehicle in Izium, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022. (AP Photo/Kostiantyn Liberov) UKRAINE-RUSSIA WAR: ZELENSKY VISITS NEWLY LIBERATED IZIUM, OFFICIALS FIND SIGNS OF TORTURE “It will likely take years for Russia to rebuild this capability,” the ministry said this week. Ukraine’s defense ministry claimed on Thursday that it has destroyed more than 2,000 tanks, 4,600 armored vehicles, 1,300 artillery rocket launchers and 900 drones since the start of the war. Among the valuable items left behind were “capabilities necessary to enable Russia’s artillery-centric style of warfare,” Western defense officials said. Ukrainian military vehicles drive on the road in the liberated area in Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Monday, September 12, 2022. Ukrainian troops recaptured a large area of land from Russia on Monday, pushing up to the northeastern border in some places, and claimed to have captured many Russian soldiers as part of a blitzkrieg that forced Moscow into a hasty retreat. (AP Photo/Kostiantyn Liberov) CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP At least one anti-battery radar system, known as ZOOPARK, and at least one IV14 artillery command and control vehicle were abandoned by Russian troops. “Such abandonment highlights the disorganized retreat of some Russian units and potential local breakdowns in command and control,” the UK Ministry of Defense said. Caitlin McFall is a reporter for Fox News Digital. She can be reached at [email protected] or @ctlnmcfall on Twitter.
