Ukraine's military said it took back more than 700 square miles from Russia in less than 3 days
Business InsiderDec 23, 2022
The Facts
Amid vast Ukrainian gains - reportedly going as far as the Russian border - in the Kharkiv region in recent days, Russia launched several strikes on power stations and other infrastructure in central and eastern regions late on Sunday. The Kharkiv region, and parts of Sumy, Poltava, and Dnipropetrovsk, were left without electricity and running water following the strikes.
Among the targets of the Russian missile strikes was the Kharkiv TEC-5, Ukraine's second-largest heat and power plant. At least one civilian was killed and two more injured in the assault on the site. Ukrainian officials said on Mon. that power and water had been restored to 80% of the Kharkiv region and completely reinstated in other regions. However, fresh strikes were reported in Kharkiv on Monday.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Ukraine's lightening-fast counteroffensive in Kharkiv is its biggest military victory since the successful defense of Kyiv in the first weeks of the war. It has propelled a new phase of the war: one where Ukraine can drive Russians out of their territory instead of being stuck in a drawn-out war of attrition.
Pro-Russia narrative
Kharkiv is not being liberated. Around 2,000 foreign mercenaries from the US and Britain, among other nations, are supporting a violent tirade through the region by Ukrainian forces. Although some 5,000 have already escaped to Russia, many remain trapped under repressive measures newly imposed by Ukrainian units.