‘They ran away’: Ukrainians recount hasty Russian withdrawal

Residents of Ukrainian villages retaken by the nation’s military describe the retreat of Russian forces within the face of Ukraine’s counteroffensive.

Balakliya, Ukraine – After months of dwelling in concern, Olga Ivanova says she was shocked to see how swiftly the Russian forces who occupied her village had withdrawn.

“We discovered 16 of them hiding in a cellar; they’d nowhere to go,” mentioned the aged resident of Verbivka, in northeastern Ukraine. “The others stole vehicles to go away, additionally they took bicycles. That’s how the Russian retreat was.”

That was on September 6, the day Ukraine launched a counteroffensive that took Russia abruptly. The lightning advance resulted in Ukrainian forces retaking some 8,000sq km (3,090sq miles) of territory and in addition dealing a significant blow in opposition to the Russian navy and its morale.

Nadia, one other Verbivka resident, shared Ivanova’s reduction and shock over the Russian troops’ fleeing.

“They ran away. They didn’t depart – they ran away. The officers fled first and left the decrease ranks behind,” she advised Al Jazeera, standing in entrance of the wreckage of what was the village’s solely faculty.

On September 7, two missiles hit the constructing, which acted as the bottom for the Russian forces, mentioned Nadia, an accountant. She believes it was bombed to destroy proof of their presence. Inside, uniforms and ammunition could possibly be seen among the many rubble.

A brief distance to the south is the city of Balakliya, the Ukrainian forces’ first main win for the reason that begin of the counteroffensive. Right here, the occupation hub was the native police station. In its windowless cells, there are markings on the wall counting the times. Forensic consultants say forces from Luhansk – certainly one of two self-proclaimed pro-Russian republics in japanese Ukraine – have been additionally stationed within the city.

“Ukraine says it has reclaimed 300 communities – dwelling to about 150,000 individuals – however Russia nonetheless holds massive elements of the nation,” mentioned Al Jazeera’s Hoda Abdel-Hamid, reporting from Balakliya.

“The hasty retreat might sign Ukraine struck first the place the Russian defences have been weakest.”

Ukrainian prosecutors say they’ve discovered a number of our bodies bearing traces of torture in not too long ago recaptured villages.

However whereas the destruction within the space is harking back to the scenes witnessed within the cities close to Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, following Russia’s withdrawal in March, there are not any traces of mass killings as seen in locations comparable to Bucha.

On Wednesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy paid a shock go to to Izyum, one other recaptured northeastern city and a key logistical hub. Following his arrival, officers raised the Ukrainian flag in entrance of the burned-out metropolis corridor constructing within the largely devastated city.

“The view may be very stunning however it isn’t stunning for me … as a result of we started to see the identical photos from Bucha, from the primary deoccupied territories … so the identical destroyed buildings, killed individuals,” Zelenskyy advised reporters.