EXCLUSIVE: Winning the war in Ukraine boils down to guns and news, a top official told Fox News Digital after Kiev’s major advances in Kharkiv this month. “We have to keep the pressure on them,” Yuriy Shak, an adviser to Ukraine’s defense minister, told Fox News Digital. “If we give them time to recover, if we give them time to rebuild their capabilities, then they will be more likely to fight back. “We have to keep the momentum and we have to keep going,” he added, noting that the momentum must also continue to impede international weapons if Ukraine is to be successful. Ukrainian forces recaptured almost the entire northern region of Kharkiv, liberating more than 400 towns and forcing Russian troops to withdraw. RUSSIAN TROOPS EMBARRASSED BY UKRAINIAN FORCES AND DNIPER RIVER, MARTYGA CARRYING SUPPLIES TO RUSSIAN FORCES SINKS The advances in northern Ukraine were part of a long-awaited counteroffensive — first reported in mid-May — that also included an offensive push into Ukraine’s southern region. Ukrainian forces are seen in Izyum after Russian forces withdrew from the city in Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine, on September 16, 2022. (Metin Aktas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) But even Kyiv was surprised by its success in Kharkiv, where it managed to surprise Russian forces and force them to retreat hastily, in some cases behind Russia’s own borders. “This was a mission that was for good reason kept secret for a long time,” said Sack. “The result of this counterattack actually exceeded even our own expectations.” The adviser said it was not only the extent of the territory that exceeded Kiev’s imagination but also the mission’s success rate. PUTIN DETERMINED TO PURSUE ‘UNITED INTERNATIONAL AGENDA’, RUSSIA LOOKS TO ANNEX EASTERN UKRAINE Shak claimed that for every Ukrainian soldier killed in the counterattack, somewhere between “9 to 10” Russian soldiers were killed. Reports have since emerged suggesting there was a breakdown in command and control within Russia’s ranks as it withdrew from Kharkiv, prompting its soldiers to abandon not only military equipment but their own troops. Shak said Ukrainian defense officials also received word that in an effort to withdraw faster, Russian troops left behind soldiers killed in action and at times shot the wounded themselves, though he said those accounts have yet to be verified. to be confirmed. Ukrainian troops recaptured a large swath of territory from Russia on Monday, pushing up to the northeastern border in some places, and claimed to have captured scores of Russian soldiers as part of a lightning advance that forced Moscow into a hasty retreat. (AP Photo/Kostiantyn Liberov) RUSSIA REMOVES BLACK SEA SUBMARINE FLEET FROM CRIMEA: UK INTEL “The Ukrainian military has had tremendous success,” he said. “They know what they’re fighting for. They want to win this war.” But Western officials said it was too early to tell whether Ukraine’s ability to retake about 3,300 square miles was a turning point or whether Russia had another operational trick up its sleeve. “We are not fully aware of what they are capable of in this state of desperation – which they certainly are in now,” the adviser said. “We have to be prepared for everything. Again this brings us back to the issue of rush and speed. “They learn from their own mistakes,” he continued. “From a purely logical point of view, it is possible to assume that the next stages will be accompanied by a more sophisticated response.” Shuck said Ukrainian defense officials rely heavily on intelligence to determine their offensive strategy and won’t guess what Russia might do next. “Our plan is simple: to keep fighting until we win this war,” he added. Ukrainian soldiers sit in infantry fighting vehicles as they advance near Izyum in eastern Ukraine on September 16, 2022. (Juan Barreto/AFP via Getty Images) CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Sack pointed out that as Ukrainian forces gained in Kharkiv, Russia increasingly relied on hitting civilian targets and using “missile terror” in areas such as the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. Ukraine continues to request greater air defenses, such as anti-missile systems, fourth-generation aircraft and longer-range missile systems. But the White House has yet to agree on those big-ticket items. “We can only be as successful as the amount of weapons we receive,” he said. “We understand that this war is far from over.” Caitlin McFall is a reporter for Fox News Digital. She can be reached at [email protected] or @ctlnmcfall on Twitter.
