During the month of September, the world watched as the Ukrainian armed forces continue to achieve victories against the Russian military in the Kharkiv Oblast.

Simultaneously, the Ukrainians also made significant progress in the region of Kherson, where both sides had previously spent months bogged down in fighting a grueling attritional war.

The victory in Kharkiv, alongside the progress made in the Kherson oblast, has led to massive Russian losses in Russia’s war on Ukraine.

According to Walter Plowczak, a Ukrainian immigrant living in Santa Barbara who closely follows developments in the war, “Now, in terms of the offense… [it] has been pretty significant… they mounted a pretty [effective counterattack].”

At present, the counter offensives in Kharkiv and Kherson, have led to the liberation of close to 6000 square kilometers of Russian occupied territory in the north.

According to Oryx, a respected military blogger, the Russians have lost a grand total of 1170 military vehicles since Aug. 29.

Of these vehicles, 282 were infantry fighting vehicles, another 265 were trucks, vehicles and jeeps, and 227 were tanks. Although impossible to independently verify, the Washington Post reports that the Ukrainian military has claimed close to 50,000 Russian soldiers have fallen on the field of battle since the invasion began in February.

The gargantuan losses in men, material, and territory for the Kremlin, are likely to prove a major setback for Russia, possibly providing renewed hope to Ukrainian citizens for a quick end to the conflict in the early months of 2023.