Zelensky says key east Ukraine city of Izyum has been 'liberated'

By AFP September 11, 2022 | 08:24 pm PT

This handout picture taken and released by the Ukrainian presidential press service on June 5, 2022, shows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (R) visiting the frontline positions of the Ukrainian military during a working trip to the Zaporizhzhia region. Photo handout via AFP

President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday confirmed Ukrainian troops had recaptured the strategic city of Izyum in the eastern part of the country from Russian forces as part of a large-scale counter-offensive.

In an address to the nation marking 200 days since the beginning of the Russia's invasion, Zelensky thanked Ukrainian forces who "liberated hundreds of our cities and villages ... and most recently Balakliya, Izyum and Kupiansk," naming three important hubs recently captured by Kyiv's army.

The head of the Ukrainian military announced early Sunday that as much as 3,000 square kilometers (1,158 square miles) had been wrested from Russia since the offensive began at the beginning of this month.

Military observers have said the confirmed recapture by Ukraine of Izyum would represent a serious blow to Moscow's military ambitions in east Ukraine.