Chris Lange, FISM News

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Kremlin spokesperson Dmistry Peskov said there has been “no discussion” to boost the country’s military campaign in Ukraine in the wake of a swift and surprising counterattack that drove Russian forces out of several territories in the Kharkiv region. The comment was made in response to reporters’ questions about recent criticism of the country’s leadership on social media by nationalist commentators and a call from a Russian parliament member for mobilization, Reuters reported. 

“Russians support the president, and this is confirmed by the mood of the people … The people are consolidated around the decisions of the head of state,” Peskov said, referring to such criticism as an example of “pluralism.”

The Kremlin now finds itself faced with its worst defeat since the Feb. 24 invasion as Ukrainian forces liberated dozens of towns and forced Russia to abandon its main bastion in the northeast on Saturday. 

Zelenskyy calls for faster shipment of Western weapons

In a video address late on Monday, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on the West to pick up the pace of weapons systems deliveries, urging allied nations to “strengthen cooperation to defeat Russian terror”.

The U.S. and its allies have given Ukraine billions of dollars in weapons and ammunition that both Ukraine and the West have attributed, in part, to recent successes in Kyiv’s efforts to limit Moscow’s gains.

Ukraine’s military said on Tuesday Russian forces shelled portions of the territories around Kharkiv that were recaptured by Kyiv forces.

Blinken notes ‘significant progress’ of Ukraine’s forces in counteroffensive

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday that Ukraine has made “significant progress” in its counteroffensive against Russian forces.

“What they have done is very methodically planned out and of course, it’s benefited from significant support from the United States and many other countries in terms of making sure that Ukraine has in its hands the equipment it needs to prosecute this counteroffensive,” Blinken told reporters during a news conference in Mexico City, where he has been engaged in economic talks.

Blinken sought to temper expectations concerning Ukraine’s ability to win the war, however, noting, he claimed, that Russia still has significant forces and arms at its disposal and continues “indiscriminately” targeting Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure.

“Russia committed this aggression. I think given the price that it’s paying, it can and should stop it,” he said.

Pentagon official: Russian forces abandon posts in Kharkiv, retreat across the border

A senior U.S. military official on Tuesday remarked that Ukrainian troops “are obviously fighting hard” in response to the success of their offensive in the Kharkiv region, where Kyiv says it has retaken roughly 1,200 square miles of territory.

Speaking on condition of anonymity at a press briefing, the official said that “Ukrainian forces have very likely taken control of Kupiansk and Izyum in addition to smaller villages,” adding that the Pentagon is “aware of anecdotal reports of abandoned … Russian equipment, which could be indicative of Russia’s disorganized command and control.” 

“On the ground in the vicinity of Kharkiv, we assess that Russian forces have largely ceded their gains to the Ukrainians and have withdrawn to the north and east, many of these forces have moved over the border into Russia,” the official said.   

Ukraine has also launched a smaller offensive in the south in the vicinity of Kherson, where Kyiv has made more modest gains as Russian forces continue shelling parts of Ukraine, according to the briefing.

Reuters also reported that Russia currently has around a dozen ships positioned in the Black Sea, including Kalibr-capable vessels that have launched strikes in Ukraine.