Live blog: Ukraine recaptures 6,000 sq km of territory — Zelenskyy

Monday, September 12, 2022

Ukraine recaptures 6,000 sq km of territory — Zelenskyy

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday said Ukrainian forces had recaptured 6,000 sq km (2,320 square miles) of territory from Russia in a counter-offensive this month.

"Since the start of September, our soldiers have already liberated 6,000 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory in the east and south, and we are moving further," Zelenskyy said in his daily address.

Ukraine has claimed sweeping successes in its lightning counter-offensive in Kharkiv region in the northeast, which saw dozens of areas, including the cities of Izyum, Kupiansk and Balakliya, retaken.

It has also claimed significant gains in the southern Kherson region, where the Ukrainian army said earlier on Monday it had recaptured 500 sq km.

De-dollarisation of world economy 'inevitable' — Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the process of de-dollarisation of the global economy is "inevitable."

"There are disputes about what to pay more attention to, where to direct more funds or (whether it is better) to save more and create a 'safety cushion,' how to create it in new conditions and what is a 'safety cushion' in modern conditions, when we have a well-known and inevitable process of de-dollarisation," he said.

Putin stressed that Russia confidently copes with external pressure that he calls "financial and technological aggression by some countries."

Russians will no longer be protected by Europe's human rights body

Millions of Russians will no longer be protected by the European Convention on Human Rights, the Council of Europe said, as Moscow will cease to be a party to the convention on September 16.

According to Marija Pejcinovic Buric, the secretary general of the Strasbourg-based council, with its departure from the convention, Russia “will further isolate itself from the democratic world and deprive more than 140 million Russian citizens of the protection offered by the Convention.”

She said the council will continue to support “human rights defenders, democratic forces, free media and independent civil society” members in Russia and “ensure justice and accountability for the people involved.”

Ukraine and Russia interested in Zaporizhzhia protection zone

Ukraine and Russia are interested in the UN atomic watchdog's proposal that a protection zone be created around the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, its chief Rafael Grossi has said. 

Both countries are engaging with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and asking many questions about the idea, which is aimed at preventing military activities like shelling that has damaged the plant's power lines and jeopardised its security, Grossi told a news conference.

Ukraine says around 500 square km retaken in southern Kherson region

Ukraine has said its forces recaptured 500 square kilometres in the southern Kherson region after claiming huge gains in the east over the weekend.

The Ukrainian army has been progressing more slowly on the southern front than in the northeastern region of Kharkiv that is now almost fully back under its control.

"We have liberated around 500 square kilometres" said Ukrainian South Command spokeswoman Natalya Gumenyuk, in the first estimate of the southern counter-offensive gains over the past two weeks.

She added that the settlements of Vysokopillia, Biloguirka, Soukhy Stavok and Myrolioubivka were "fully under Ukrainian flag".

Russia says striking east Ukraine, 'no prospects' for talks 

Russia has said its forces were striking parts of the eastern Kharkiv region retaken by Ukraine, vowing to continue its military action in the country. 

It also said it saw no opening for talks with Kiev, ruling out negotiations. 

The defence ministry in its daily briefing said Russian air, rocket and artillery forces were "delivering precision strikes on units and reserves of the Ukrainian armed forces", including in the urban hubs of Kupiansk and Izyum. 

Over the weekend, Ukraine claimed sweeping successes against Russian forces in the south and the east, including the cities of Izyum, Kupiansk and Balakliya. 

Mayor of Ukraine's Kharkiv says city has lost power again after strikes

Russian strikes have again cut off power and water supplies to Kharkiv, the mayor of Ukraine's second largest city has said.

"Last night's situation is being repeated. Due to the (Russian) strikes... power and water supplies have halted," said Ihor Terekhov, adding that emergency services were working to restore the services.

Earlier, the regional governor had said 80 percent of power in the city had been restored following Russian shelling on Sunday, which followed a large Ukrainian counter-offensive to recapture territory in the Kharkiv region. 

Ukraine counter-offensive 'third phase' in conflict - defence minister

Ukraine's counter-offensive against Russia has entered a new phase made possible by the supply of Western weapons, the country's defence minister said in an interview published on Monday.

"The counter-offensive is the third phase" of Ukraine's plan to retake positions beginning in the south and north, Oleksii Reznikov told French daily Le Monde.

The first phase was an attempt to dissuade Russia from pressing its attack, while the second aimed at "stabilising the front and testing their capacities for resilience".

At least 1,000 people killed in northeast Ukraine, official says

At least 1,000 people have been killed in the last six months in fighting in the Ukrainian city of Izyum but the real figure is probably much higher, a Ukrainian official has said, two days after Kiev's forces recaptured the major supply hub.

Izyum had served for months as Russia's main stronghold in northeastern Ukraine, and its recapture by Ukrainian forces represents a major setback for what Moscow calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine. 

"Izyum suffered heavily due to Russian aggression," Maksym Strelnikov, a member of the city council, told a televised news conference, adding that 80 percent of its infrastructure including the central heating system had been destroyed. 

Ukraine claims recaptured over 20 settlements in 24 hours

Ukrainian armed forces have said that they had recaptured more than 20 settlements in the past 24 hours amid a large counter-offensive.

"In the past 24 hours, Ukrainian armed forces drove the enemy away from more than 20 settlements" and are regaining "full control over them", the Ukrainian army said in its daily briefing.

"In their retreat, Russian troops are hastily abandoning their positions and fleeing," the army statement added.

Throughout the weekend, Ukraine claimed sweeping successes against Russia in the south and the east, including the cities of Izyum, Kupiansk and Balakliya.

Russian official: Ukraine's troops outnumber Russia's in battle

A Russian-backed official in Ukraine's Kharkiv region has said that Ukrainian forces outnumbered Russian and pro-Russian forces by eight times during a lightning Ukrainian counteroffensive in the region.

Speaking to the state-owned Rossiya-24 television channel on Monday, Vitaly Ganchev said that Ukrainian forces had captured previously Russian-held settlements in the region's north, breaking through to the border with Russia, and that "about 5000" civilians had been evacuated to Russia.

Ganchev said "the situation is becoming more difficult by the hour", adding that the border with Russia's Belgorod region was now closed.

Türkiye: 9 more grain ships leave Ukraine under Istanbul deal

Nine more ships have left Ukrainian ports under the landmark Ankara-brokered grain export deal, the Turkish National Defence Ministry said.

A ministry statement, which did not disclose the ships’ points of departure or destinations, said shipments from Ukrainian ports are continuing as planned.

Türkiye, the UN, Russia, and Ukraine signed an agreement in Istanbul on July 22 to resume grain exports from three Ukrainian Black Sea ports, which were paused after the Russia-Ukraine conflict began in February.

UN decries Russia's 'intimidation' of opponents to Ukraine conflict

The UN's acting human rights chief has decried the "intimidation" of people in Russia voicing opposition to the Ukraine conflict, warning it was undermining fundamental freedoms.

Speaking before the UN Human Rights Council on Monday, deputy UN rights chief Nada Al Nashif decried the "intimidation, restrictive measures and sanctions against people voicing opposition to the war in Ukraine."

Earlier this year, the council ordered a high-level probe of violations by Russian troops in Ukraine since its full-scale operation on February 24.

Moldova axes plan to resume Russia-bound flights

The national air carrier of Ukraine's neighbour Moldova has cancelled plans to resume Russia-bound flights, it said.

In a statement late on Sunday it said that "Moldova's civil aviation authority published an operational directive... prohibiting national companies to carry out flights in Russia's air space."

Air Moldova had announced on Friday that it would resume flights to Russia.

Ukraine denounces 'cynical strikes' on civilian infrastructure

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy denounced the “deliberate and cynical missile strikes” against civilian targets as acts of terrorism.

The bombardment ignited a massive fire at a power station on Kharkiv's western outskirts and killed at least one person. 

Ukraine’s second-largest city of Kharkiv appeared to be without power on Sunday night.

For live updates from Sunday (September 11), click here