Battle maps show Ukraine’s rout of Russia in ‘greatest counterattack since WW2’

Incredible battle maps show the staggering extent of Ukraine's recent rout of Russian forces in what has been dubbed "the greatest counteroffensive since World War II".

Last week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy launched the first major counterattack since Vladimir Putin's invasion in February.

Ukrainian officials described it as a "special disinformation operation". First they attacked Kherson in the south, as had been the much-publicised plan.

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As Russian troops responded to the southern threat, Ukraine then launched a second offensive in the northern Kharkiv region, sweeping through Russian-controlled towns and cities and leading to the Kremlin organising a massive withdrawal.

Zelensky said his troops have now retaken more than 6,000sqkm (2,317sqmi) this month, with battle maps shared by the BBC showing large swathes of the Russian border now under Ukrainian control.

John Spencer, a military analyst and former US Army Major, said on Twitter on Saturday (September 10): "Just in case you are still not informed. Ukraine has launched the greatest counteroffensive since World War II.

"Ukraine has regained/liberated over 1,000km of land & cities. Ukraine is winning. Ukraine is defeating Russia (once thought to be the second most powerful military)!"

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's today show, Justin Bronk of the Royal United Services Institute said: "This is certainly the most dramatic reverse we've seen for the Russians since they retreated from the advance on Kyiv in April."

Videos over the past few days have shown Ukrainian forces tearing down Russian flags in liberated cities and towns, replacing them with their own, and residents in those areas rushing to hug their liberators.

Russia's defence ministry has attempted to play down the humiliating defeat.

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It said in a statement: "To achieve the goals of the special military operation to liberate Donbas, a decision was made to regroup Russian troops stationed in the Balakliya and Izyum regions, to bolster efforts along the Donetsk front."

Russian now only controls a small part of the Kharkiv region. There have also been reports of significant, albeit slower, Ukrainian advances in Kherson.

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