On 6 September 2022, Ukrainian forces launched a counteroffensive in the Kharkiv region,[52] taking Russian forces by surprise.[2][53][54] In a 10 September interview with the Guardian, Ukrainian special forces spokesman Taras Berezovets stated Russia "thought [the counteroffensive] would be in the south… then, instead of the south, the offensive happened where they least expected, and this caused them to panic and flee.”[5]