Russia is “regrouping” its troops in Ukraine, and therefore troops are being withdrawn from Izhum and Balaklia, both in the Kharkiv region. They are going to the nearby Donetsk region. The Ministry of Defense has announced this, according to the Russian state news agency TASS.
Not long after the report, Ukrainian President Volodymir Zelensky’s chief of staff shared a photo on social media showing Ukrainian troops on the outskirts of Izyum. The Ukrainian army is making rapid advances in Kharkiv. According to Zelensky, at least thirty places have been recaptured in recent days.
“We have decided to regroup our forces in Izhum and Balaklia,” the defense ministry said. According to Moscow, the move is necessary for the “liberation of the Donbas”, consisting of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions. There is currently heavy fighting in Donetsk. The pro-Russian separatist leader in the area says the situation in the city of Lyman is “very difficult” and there is also fighting in other places, notably in northern Donetsk.
The announcement about the move of Russian military personnel comes hours after Ukrainian authorities said they had recaptured the occupied city of Kupyansk. Located in Kharkiv, this city is of strategic importance as it is where railway tracks converge that are used by Russia to supply troops in northeastern Ukraine.
The administrator appointed by Russia for the occupied territories in Kharkiv is calling on residents to evacuate to Russia. He has stated, according to TASS, that refugees are provided with food, warmth and medical care. A day earlier, he said civilians were being evacuated from several cities because Ukrainian troops had breached Russian defense lines.
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