The rapid return of territories by Ukrainian troops to Kharkiv he caught her Russia Military analysts say the counterattack threatens an important supply hub used by Moscow in eastern Ukraine.

The surprise offensive was the most spectacular moment of the war, given that it took place in the Kharkiv region in the northeast, hundreds of kilometers from Kherson in the south, where Ukrainian forces were expected to throw all their strength.

For several months, Moscow controlled about a fifth of Ukrainian territory in the south and east. He reinforced his forces in the south as Kyiv discussed plans for counterattacks in those areas, but Russian forces were left unprotected on other fronts, explained Konrad Muzyka, director of the Rochan military consulting company in Poland.