Latest Ukraine updates: 2,000sq km retaken, Zelenskyy claims
Ukraine news from September 10: Ukrainian president claims his forces make major gains weeks after launching counteroffensive as Russian forces retreat.
- Moscow says it is regrouping its forces in the eastern Kharkiv region of Ukraine after Kyiv announced its troops had made sweeping gains in the territory.
- Ukraine says its forces now have full control over the city of Balakliia and are on the outskirts of the town of Izyum, a key military strongpoint held by the Russians for many months.
- Moscow says it is regrouping its forces in the eastern Kharkiv region of Ukraine after Kyiv announced its troops had made sweeping gains in the territory.
- Ukraine says its forces now have full control over the city of Balakliia and are on the outskirts of the town of Izyum, a key military strongpoint held by the Russians for many months.
- Ukrainian troops along the southern front line in some regions have advanced dozens of kilometres into territory captured by Russian troops at the beginning of the invasion, the military says.
The live blog is now closed, thank you for joining us. These were the updates on the Russia-Ukraine war on Saturday, September 10:
Ukrainian flag raises over retaken town, Balakliia
A video released by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence shows Ukrainian soldiers, under the command of Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi, raising the national flag outside the Balakliia District Administration building.
“Today, we are completing the liberation of Balakliia. The first big city in our offensive. I am sure this is not the last city. Ahead of us is Kupiansk, which is already half taken by our troops. Ahead of us are Izyum and many others,” Colonel General Syrskyi said in the footage.
Ukraine probing emergency exports of thermal coal to Poland: Kyiv
Ukraine will look into whether it can urgently supply neighbouring Poland with 100,000 tonnes of thermal coal to help it get through the coming winter, Zelenskyy has said.
In an evening address, Zelenskyy also said he had ordered that work be speeded up on upgrading a power transmission line from Ukraine’s Khmelnytskyi nuclear plant to Poland.
Ukraine and Poland are increasing this year’s production of thermal coal, the most polluting fossil fuel, preparing for colder months as Europe grapples with an energy security crisis exacerbated by the war in Ukraine.
German envoy promises Kyiv de-mining help
German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock has promised Ukraine help with removing mines from conflict zones in her second visit to the country since the Russian invasion began in February.
Her presence in the country is intended to show “that we will continue to stand by Ukraine as long as it takes – with the delivery of weapons, as well as humanitarian and financial support”, Baerbock said.
During a visit to a minefield in Velyka Dymerka near Kyiv, Baerbock said de-mining was important to make the lives of people safer in the contested areas.
Analysis: Russia caught out by Ukraine’s double offensive
Ukrainian forces have retaken more than 2,500 square kilometres (965 square miles) of territory in the northeast of the country in just three days, according to the Institute for the Study of War, a think-tank.
Dozens of settlements have been recaptured from Russian troops, who have begun a headlong retreat to the relative safety of Luhansk province.
Read the analysis by Al Jazeera’s Alex Gatopoulos here.
Military has liberated 2,000sq km of territory: Zelenskyy
Ukraine’s armed forces have liberated approximately 2,000 square kilometres (772 square miles) of territory since a counteroffensive against Russia started earlier this month, Zelenskyy has said in a video address.
He said Russian forces are making “a good decision” by fleeing the counteroffensive.
“Occupiers have no place in Ukraine and will not have one,” Zelenskyy said.
Ukraine’s forces will stop campaign ‘where our interests end’: Top official
A top Ukrainian security official said the armed forces’ campaign against Russia would end “where our interests end” and predicted a tough war, the Voice of America has reported.
“The armed forces will stop where our interests end and that will depend on many circumstances,” said Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of the National Security and Defence Council, when asked whether the campaign would end in Crimea or even Moscow.
Ukraine says its forces have full control over city of Balakliia
Ukrainian forces have finally established full control over the city of Balakliia, Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar has said.
Malyar made the announcement in an online statement, hours after Russia announced it was pulling out its troops.
Russian rockets hit Ukraine’s Kharkiv, killing one: Governor
Russian rocket fire has hit Ukraine’s northeastern city of Kharkiv, killing at least one person and damaging several homes, local officials have said.
The attacks hit the western suburb of Kholodnohirsk and damaged several homes in Ukraine’s second-largest city, its mayor Ihor Terekhov said.
Regional governor Oleh Synehubov said rockets from an MLRS system had killed one person and wounded two.
Ukrainians ‘about to recapture Izyum’: AJ correspondent
Al Jazeera’s Gabriel Elizondo reporting from Kyiv has said that Ukrainian forces are about to recapture the city of Izyum, a “city of 55,000 people.
“It was a key hub, a key military strongpoint for the Russians for many months. It took the Russians six weeks of fighting to get a hold of that city, and now it appears that the Ukrainians will have retaken it, in pretty much a 12-to-24-hour timeframe,” Elizondo said.
“It gives you an idea of how the tide is certainly turning. Ukrainians clearly have the momentum in this battle right now in the northeast, as they continue to push the Russian forces back.”
Russian-installed Kharkiv administrator urges full evacuation: TASS
The Russian-installed chief administrator of Russian-controlled parts of Ukraine’s Kharkiv region has recommended that all its inhabitants evacuate to Russia “to save lives”, according to the Russian state-run TASS news agency.
He said official representatives were ready to provide the refugees with food, heat and medical care, according to TASS.
Zelenskyy aide posts image of Ukrainian forces on outskirts of Izyum
Zelenskyy’s chief of staff has published a photograph showing Ukrainian forces on the outskirts of the town of Izyum which has been a stronghold for Russian forces for months.
Russia said earlier that it was pulling forces out of Izyum and the town of Balakliia.
Blinken and von der Leyen discuss support for Ukraine
US State Secretary Antony Blinken and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen discussed their support for Ukraine.
Von der Leyen wrote on Twitter she was “grateful” for being briefed on Blinken’s “visit to Kyiv and for our exchange on our respective security and economic assistance to Ukraine”.
The EU and the US “are united in purpose and action”, von der Leyen wrote. “We stand by Ukraine in its courageous struggle.”
Zelenskyy speaks to Macron about demilitarising nuclear plant
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he has spoken to French President Emmanuel Macron about the situation at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, calling for it to be “demilitarised”.
“Our position is the only way to protect Europe from a nuclear disaster is to demilitarise the plant,” Zelenskyy wrote on Twitter.
I talked with @EmmanuelMacron by phone. I briefed him on the course of hostilities. I raised the issue of banning visas for Russians. Much time was given to the crisis at #ZNPP. Our position is the only way to protect Europe from a nuclear disaster is to demilitarize the plant.
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) September 10, 2022
Moldovan airlines blocked from resuming flights to Moscow: Official
Moldova’s civil aviation authority has blocked Air Moldova and other national carriers from restarting flights between Chisinau and Moscow, Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Spînu has said.
Air Moldova had said on Friday that it hoped to restart flights from Chisinau to Moscow from October 1. Moldova suspended air links with Russia over its February 24 invasion of Ukraine.
Pro-Russia separatist leader says fighting ‘difficult’ in Donetsk region
The Kremlin-backed leader of a separatist republic in eastern Ukraine has said that there was fierce fighting between Russian forces and Ukraine in his breakaway region.
Denis Pushilin said the situation in the town of Lyman in the Donetsk region was “very difficult” and that there was also fighting in “a number of other localities,” particularly in the northern part of the region.
Russia to pull forces from Balakliia and Izyum: TASS
Russia will pull out its forces from the Ukrainian towns of Balakliia and Izyum, the state-run news agency TASS has quoted the Russian defence ministry as saying.
Russia says forces ‘regrouping’ as Ukraine reports gains in east
Moscow has announced it is “regrouping” its forces in the eastern Kharkiv region of Ukraine after Kyiv announced its troops had made sweeping gains in the territory held for months by Russia’s army.
“To achieve the goals of the special military operation to liberate Donbas, a decision was made to regroup Russian troops stationed in the [Balakliia] and Izyum regions, to bolster efforts along the Donetsk front,” Russia’s defence ministry said in a statement.
Russia says Ukraine military facilities hit in Kharkiv region
Russia’s Ministry of Defence has reported that Russian forces have struck the facility of the National Guard of Ukraine and the points of deployment of the “Kraken” formation near Balakliia and Chuhuiv.
According to the Ministry’s spokesman Igor Konashenkov, up to 300 Ukrainian servicemen and up to 15 units of military equipment were destroyed.
Ukraine negotiating $1.5bn US loan for gas: PM
Ukraine is negotiating for a $1.5bn loan tranche from the US Export-Import Bank to buy natural gas, Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal has written on Telegram in a summary of a call with US Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen.
Kyiv’s forces enter key town of Kupiansk in east Ukraine
Ukrainian forces say they have entered the town of Kupiansk in east Ukraine, a key supply hub that had been held by invading Russian forces for several months.
Ukrainian special forces published images on social media, which they said showed their officers “in Kupiansk, which was and will always be Ukrainian”.
A regional official separately posted an image of Ukrainian soldiers in the east Ukrainian town of about 27,000 people and wrote that “Kupiansk is Ukraine”.
Kyiv claims ‘astonishing’ advances in east Ukraine
Kyiv has said its forces are making lightning gains in the east of the country in a shock counteroffensive to recapture territory that fell to Russia shortly after Moscow’s February invasion.
“Ukrainian troops are advancing in eastern Ukraine, liberating more cities and villages. Their courage coupled with Western military support brings astonishing results,” foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said in a statement on social media.
“It’s crucial to keep sending arms to Ukraine. Defeating Russia on the battlefield means winning peace in Ukraine,” he added.
His assessment of the pace of the Ukrainian gains came after President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced late on Friday his troops had retaken some 30 towns and villages in the northeastern Kharkiv region as part of the sweep.
Ukraine says some troops advancing ‘dozens of kilometres’ in south
Ukrainian troops along the southern front line in some regions are advancing dozens of kilometres into territory captured by Russian forces at the beginning of the invasion, a military spokeswoman has said.
“Our troops are advancing along the southern front lines in various sections from between two and several dozens of kilometres,” Nataliya Gumenyuk, a spokeswoman for the southern command of the Ukrainian army, told local media.
Russia destroys tracking radar station in Mykolaiv
Russian air forces have destroyed a tracking radar station of the Ukrainian army in the Mykolaiv region and six weapon and missile depots in the eastern and southeastern parts of Ukraine, TASS quoted the Russian defence ministry as saying.
Russian air defence systems downed 13 Ukrainian drones and destroyed five HIMARS missiles in the air, the ministry said, according to state news agency TASS.