In a sudden apparent collapse of one of the war’s principal front lines, Russia’s Defence Ministry said Saturday that it is pulling back forces from two areas in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region.
Following the significant advances made by Ukrainian soldiers in Kharkiv, Defence Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said the troops would be regrouped from the Balakliya and Izyum areas.
After Ukrainian troops captured the city of Kupiansk further north, the power supply of thousands of Russian troops was abruptly cut off.
Since bursting through the frontline earlier this week, Ukrainian forces have recaptured dozens of towns and villages held by Russia for months.
Russia’s state-run TASS news agency quoted Russia’s defence ministry as saying, “To achieve the stated goals of the Special Military Operation for the liberation of Donbas, it was decided to regroup the Russian troops located in the districts of Balakliia and Izium for the purpose of increasing efforts in the Donetsk direction.”
Marking Russia’s biggest battlefield defeat since its forces were forced to abandon their assault on the capital Kyiv in March, the claim of pullback to concentrate on Donetsk is similar to the justification given by Kremlin for Ukraine’s capital.
Highlighting that at least 30 settlements had been liberated in the Kharkiv region during the advance of recent days, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky applauded the “very sharp and rapid” advance.
According to experts, the picture of grapes posted by Zelensky’s chief of staff on social media was an indirect confirmation as the word “Izium” means “raisin” in Ukrainian and Russian.
(With inputs from agencies)
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