Russian nationalists rage as Ukraine’s stunning counter-offensive makes huge gains – with Kremlin refusing to say if Putin still backs his commanders
- Ukraine’s troops on Saturday launched a lightning counteroffensive near Kharkiv
- They regained huge swathes of territory, causing Russian forces to retreat
- Neither Putin nor Russia’s defence minister have commented on the defeat
- The defence ministry styled the retreat as troops ‘regrouping’ to the Donbas
- Kremlin spokesman avoided questions over whether Putin trusts military leaders
- The defeat has incensed Russian nationalists and pro-war commentators
Raging Russian nationalists called on Sunday for President Vladimir Putin to make immediate changes to ensure victory in the Ukraine war after troops were forced to retreat amid a series of strong Ukrainian counterattacks.
Ukraine’s troops on Saturday stormed east out of second city Kharkiv, smashing through Russian lines and liberating huge swathes of territory, including the key strategic city of Izyum along with several key transport and logistics hubs supporting Putin’s men in the Donbas.
The news prompted Chechen leader and Putin ally Ramzan Kadyrov to publish an 11-minute-long rant on the Telegram messaging app, declaring that ‘changes must be made’ to turn the tide of the war.
‘If today or tomorrow changes are not made in the conduct of the special military operation, I will be forced to go to the country’s leadership to explain to them the situation on the ground,’ Kadyrov exclaimed.
Putin, who is Russia’s supreme commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu are yet to publicly comment on the defeat.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov meanwhile declined to answer directly when asked by a reporter on Monday whether the Russian president had confidence in his military leadership.
‘The military operation continues,’ Peskov insisted, avoiding the question. ‘And it will continue until the goals that were originally set are achieved.’
Raging Russian nationalists called on Sunday for President Vladimir Putin (pictured) to make immediate changes to ensure victory in the Ukraine war amid widespread retreats in Kharkiv
Head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov said he would be ‘forced to go to Russia’s leadership to explain the situation on the ground’ if changes are not made in short order
Neither Putin, nor defence minister Sergei Shoigu (centre left) have yet commented on the retreat
Derhachi District Mayor Vyacheslav Zadorenko, with a group of Ukrainian soldiers, rips a Russian flag in Kozacha Lopan, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, after the town was liberated
The widespread retreat of Russian troops from the Kharkiv region and Izyum came on Moscow Day – a holiday which marks the founding of the Russian capital in 1147.
Moscow’s almost total silence on the defeat – or any explanation for what had taken place in northeastern Ukraine beyond a claim its troops were simply ‘regrouping’ – sparked significant anger among nationalists and some pro-war commentators on social media.
Igor Girkin, a nationalist militant and former FSB officer who was involved in the orchestration of the Russian-backed war in eastern Ukraine in 2014 compared the collapse of one of the conflict’s principal front lines to the 1905 Battle of Mukden – a catastrophic defeat in the Russo-Japanese war which triggered Russia’s 1905 Revolution.
Girkin, who has been unsparing in his criticisms of the country’s top brass, dubbing defence minister Shoigu ‘the cardboard marshal’, has said repeatedly that Russia will be defeated in Ukraine if it doesn’t declare a nationwide mobilisation.
Meanwhile, one prominent pro-war military blogger who posts under the name of Rybar said on Telegram: ‘They’re taking the p***’.
‘Now is not the time to shut up and say nothing… this seriously hurts the cause.’
And Russian MP Sergei Mironov said on Twitter that a firework display in honour of the Moscow Day holiday should be cancelled in view of the military situation.
One message reposted on Telegram by the prominent war correspondent Semyon Pegov referred to the celebrations in Moscow as ‘blasphemous’ and the refusal of Russian authorities to embark on full-scale war as ‘schizophrenic’.
‘Either Russia will become itself through the birth of a new political elite… or it will cease to exist,’ it read.
Ukraine meanwhile has hailed its military’s rapid advance, which saw thousands of Russian soldiers flee, leaving behind ammunition stockpiles and equipment, as a turning point in the 6-month-old war.
‘Our army, intelligence units and the security services are carrying out active engagements in several operational areas. They are doing so successfully,’ Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said in a video address to the nation last night.
‘We are gradually taking control over new settlements. We are returning the Ukrainian flag and protection for our citizens everywhere,’ he added, claiming that more than 30 settlements had been liberated in the Kharkiv region.
A counter-offensive by Ukrainian forces has seen troops push to within 30 miles of the border, amid reports panicked Russian troops have been abandoning tanks, weapons and supplies
Igor Girkin, a nationalist militant and former FSB officer, has said repeatedly that Russia will be defeated in Ukraine if it doesn’t declare a nationwide mobilisation
Meanwhile, in the south of Ukraine, a second counter-attack near the city of Kherson was making steady progress with Nataliya Humenyuk – spokesman for the southern military command – saying some Russian troops were trying to negotiate their surrender this morning.
Humenyuk said the soldiers are among those stranded on the west bank of the Dnipro River. They have no escape route after Ukraine used US HIMARS missiles to destroy all of the main crossing points.
‘In the south, near Kherson, Russia is likely struggling to bring sufficient reserves forward across the Dnipro River to the front line,’ a British military intelligence update read.
‘An improvised floating bridge Russia started over two weeks ago remains incomplete; Ukrainian long-range artillery is now probably hitting crossings of the Dnipro so frequently that Russia cannot carry out repairs to damaged road bridges.
‘The rapid Ukrainian successes have significant implications for Russia’s overall operational design.
‘The already limited trust deployed troops have in Russia’s senior military leadership is likely to deteriorate further.’
Ukrainian servicemen drive near Bakhmut, as Russia’s attack in Ukraine continues, in Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine, September 7
A commanding officer of an anti-air unit of Ukraine’s Armed Forces loads a rocket launcher in his SUV as they prepare to support infantry in liberating Balakliya in eastern Ukraine on Thursday, Sept 8
Firefighters tackle a blaze at Kharkiv’s largest power station – one of the largest in Ukraine – after it was hit by Russian missiles
Russian missiles struck Ukraine’s power plants overnight, plunging around a third of the country into darkness
Retreating Russian troops did cause some problems for Ukraine, blowing up a series of power stations as they fled Kharkiv which cut off electricity to thousands of homes and plunged swathes of territory into darkness.
But Zelensky played upon this in last night’s broadcast, in which he delivered a direct message to Putin.
‘Do you still think you can intimidate, break us, force us to make concessions? Did you really not understand anything? Don’t understand who we are? What we stand for? What we are talking about?’ Zelensky said.
‘Read my lips,’ he added. ‘Cold, hunger, darkness and thirst for us are not as scary and deadly as your ”friendship” and ”brotherhood”.’
‘We will be with gas, lights, water and food… and without you.’
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