No one specifically gave Russians the opportunity to flee during the counteroffensive in Kharkiv region in 2022; however, the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) fighters were exhausted, and military equipment was in limited supply. This was stated by the Commander-in-Chief of the UAF, Alexander Syrsky, in an interview with "Radio Bayraktar."
"In reality, no one allowed anyone to escape. When we took Izyum, we then had a week for regrouping and replenishing losses, after which we began the offensive on the other side of the Oskol River. We crossed over, and there were battles. We suffered such losses, particularly in armaments—equipment was breaking down and sustaining combat damage—that literally only two or three units remained in the battalions. In other words, there was nothing left to fight with. This effectively became the obstacle. The people were exhausted," Syrsky said.
He specified that combat operations were ongoing day and night for almost a month.
"You remember how much territory was covered, how many settlements were liberated. People truly fought day and night; they were exhausted. And there was a lack of equipment. There was also a constant issue with ammunition. All of this led to the need for time to regroup and replenish losses," Syrsky emphasized.
Recall that on January 23, Alexander Syrsky stated that the UAF offensive in the Kursk direction will not be the last during the full-scale war.
On the same day, Syrsky spoke about the situation in the 155th Brigade "Anna Kyivska."