There have been reports that thousands of Ukrainian civilians have been murdered during the Russian occupation. SVT’s team is on site in the city of Balaklija in the Kharkiv region, where the Russian forces are said to have used the local police station and interrogated people in torture-like ways.
– This is one of the cities that Russia captured already at the beginning of March and the people we meet here are very grateful when they receive the Ukrainian soldiers. But not many people live here anymore, says reporter Elin Jönsson, who is in the city together with photographer Lars Lyrefelt.
Analyst: The war could last into 2023
Despite the recent dramatic events and successes of the Ukrainian forces, military analyst Jörgen Elfving, former lieutenant colonel, believes that the war will continue into 2023. Among other things, Russia is distributing winter equipment to the volunteer units going to Ukraine.
Another factor is how much Ukraine is ready to sacrifice.
– The Ukrainian side has so far said nothing about its losses during the counter-offensive, but according to the Russian Defense Forces, 4,000 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed during the offensive.