Ukraine Video Shows Russians Flee 'in Panic' From Liberated Village

Ukraine's Ministry of Defense shared a compilation of videos on its social media page that purportedly shows Russian soldiers fleeing the village of Urozhaine "in panic" as Kyiv's forces take control of the Donetsk region settlement.

Ukraine Deputy Defense Ministry Hanna Maliar said in a statement Wednesday that Ukraine had "liberated" the village from Russia control after several days of intense battles as Kyiv continues forward with its counteroffensive.

In a 50-second clip shared on "X", formerly known as Twitter, Moscow's troops are supposedly seen leaving Urozhaine in either military vehicles or running on foot following heavy Ukrainian artillery. Kyiv credited soldiers apart of its 35th and 38th Separate Marine Brigades for recapturing the village.

"The enemy flees Urozhaine in panic," read a caption on the video. "We hereby report that the settlement of Urozhaine has been liberated!"

Newsweek could not independently verify the footage, but CNN confirmed through geolocation that part of the video which shows Kyiv's troops raising a Ukrainian flag was taken within Urozhaine near a memorial that is dedicated to Soviet soldiers who fought in World War II.

The Russian Defense Ministry has been contacted via email for comment.

If confirmed, Urozhaine would mark Ukraine's first major gain in its counteroffensive in weeks. The eastern village is located roughly 60 miles southwest of the Russian-occupied city of Donetsk and neighbors the village of Staromaiorske, which Ukraine claimed it liberated late last month.

The victory will likely give Ukraine's military and its citizens a morale boost after Kyiv's counteroffensive got off to a much slower start than anticipated. Capturing Urozhaine could also place Ukraine in a much better position to fight against the Surovikin Line, a group of Russian fortifications that serves as Moscow's first defenses of its occupied Ukrainian territory.

As Newsweek previously reported, the village of Urozhaine is located about 5 miles north of the fortification strip. The Institute for the Study of War also previously assessed that Ukraine's success in the area is "tactically significant."

But Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky may be at a crossroads on how to move forward in his costly offensive campaign. A source close to the Ukrainian government, who spoke with Newsweek on the condition of anonymity, said that there "are some differences among the Ukrainian leadership about the military strategy" given that Kyiv's counteroffensive has not been as successful as first anticipated.

"On the military side, you have [Ukrainian commander-in-chief General Valery] Zaluzhnyi and others—but obviously he's in command—who want to keep pushing," the source said. There are some questions on the political side about whether that makes the most sense right now. Or does it make sense to consolidate where possible in some areas, and relieve pressure on supply lines and stockpiles?"