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Opinion | The World Now Has a Vision of Ukrainian Victory


KYIV – Three months ago, I met Vyacheslav Zadorenko, a community leader from the Kharkiv region. From the relative safety of Derhachi, he told me about how his village, a settlement on the Russian border, was occupied in the first days of the Russian invasion. His mother did not manage to escape. “My personal victory,” he said, “will be when I can return to my family home.” In midsummer, as Russia consolidates its profits and gradually secures more, that seems like a sad, unrealizable dream.

But now it has come true. One posted video on Telegram showing Mr. Zadorenko reunited with his mother. “I have collected everything for you, my dear son,” she said, running towards him excitedly. “I know you came to set me free; I waited. Leaning down to hug her, he replied, “Mom, you’re still as beautiful as ever.”

It was a remarkable sight, no doubt played out over thousands of square miles of territory that Ukrainian forces have recaptured in recent days. One outstanding counterattack The liberation of, according to the government, some 150,000 people, it changed the course of the nearly seven-month conflict, giving Ukrainians a new sense of hope and a blow to Russia.

Of course, it did not bring the final victory. But the importance cannot be denied. As a front-line reporter, especially someone documenting possible war crimes, I’m used to seeing tragedy, pain, and sadness in people’s eyes. But what I observe these days across the country, in vibrating videos and calls with friends, is pure happiness, on a scale I have rarely seen. After months of grief, Ukraine is having fun again.

Started in earnest over the past 10 days, the counter-offensive in the northeast of the country appears to have taken the Russian military’s attention – their attention perhaps distracted by the months-long accumulation of Ukrainian forces. in the southern Kherson region – all of a sudden. Instead of fighting, they fled, leaving behind hundreds of vehicles, ammunition and documents. In Izium, for example, a friend of mine who led a squad of paratroopers was found 10 handwritten resignation letters from Russian soldiers demanding “resignation from Russian military forces on Ukrainian territory due to physical and mental exhaustion.”

The wreckage of this defeat paid the price for the Russian concept of military excellence. But it should also reframe the way the war is viewed. Over the past few months, Western experts have been asking the same question: how to deal with Ukrainian fatigue amid a war of attrition. Besides the annoyed Ukrainians – no matter how tired you are, you can’t resign to defend your country – the worry is pointless. The Ukrainians know that a counterattack is only a matter of time. The question is whether it will be successful.

It did, and the world now has a vision of Ukraine’s victory, not just heroic resistance. Discussion of talks and a deal – although Vladimir Putin gave no sign of the slightest sign he would play along – is sure to drop, in favor of new support. Compassion and empathy are great motivators, but trust and trust are better motivators. Now, domestically and among its supporters, there is talk of victory and what it takes to get there.

However, the real meaning lies within Ukraine itself. If the area north of Kharkiv – now withdrawn but with a few village – still occupied, there will be the constant threat of Russian forces encircling Ukrainian-held territory in the Donbas. The recapture of the northern regions gives Ukrainian forces an additional opportunity to repel and ultimately reverse Russian advances in the east. Furthermore, it allowed them to focus again on the area south of Kherson.

More deeply, the counterattack shows that the Ukrainian army is not only capable of defense but also capable of attack. This is a big change. After all, the whole premise of the war effort so far has been to defend the country against invaders – usually around Kyiv, Chernihiv and Odesa, with great success. Now the army, supplied with high-end weapons, has proven itself to be offensive and can complete missions with renewed confidence. President Volodymyr Zelensky felt safe enough to visit Iziuma town less than 10 miles from the line, just four days after its liberation, was a marker for optimism across the country.

But there is also sadness. After liberation, there will be tragic reports – perhaps confirming our worst fears – of what Ukrainians have been through under nearly seven months of Russian occupation. As after Russia withdrew from Bucha, we may learn terrible, shocking things. Meanwhile, Russian missile attacks make sure that we can never forget that we are still at war.

But now I want to cherish this moment of happiness, hope and joy. After months of pain, it was something to enjoy – and motivate us Ukrainians.

Nataliya Gumenyuk (@ngumenyuk) is a Ukrainian reporter, director of the Laboratory of Journalism in the Public Interest, and co-founder of Project Reckoning, a facility that documents war crimes.

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