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Russia confirmed this Saturday that its troops had withdrawn from Izyum, but the justification is that the army is “regrouping” its forces that are in the Izyum and Balakliya regions, another city recovered in recent days by the Ukrainian military. Another strategically crucial city, Kupiansk, is said to have reverted to Ukrainian control.
According to a statement released through the state agency RIA Novosti, the Ministry of Defense confirms the departure of Izyum, an important supply point for Russia, but says it remains determined to “accelerate efforts in Donetsk” to “achieve the objectives of the special military operation. ” and “liberator” Donbass.
The statement also reads that in recent days several “staging” and “distraction movements” were carried out, which were aimed at disguising the withdrawal of Russian troops from that city, according to Russia.
Ukrainian forces are making “rapid and very surgical advances”, a source on the Russian side was quoted by Reuters as saying, admitting this could be a turning point in the Ukraine war.
That source is Vitaly Ganchev, a Kremlin-placed official in the Kharkiv region. “The enemy is being contained as much as possible, but several places where we were deployed have already come under the control of the Ukrainian armed forces,” he adds.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Friday that the Armed Forces had “liberated” more than 30 places in the Kharkiv region that were occupied by Russian troops. “Little by little we are taking control of new locations. We are returning the Ukrainian flag and protection to our people,” Zelensky said.
A video was posted on the Internet showing Ukrainian troops setting up an entry point in Izyum, a city that is now under their control.
Ukrainian SOF in Izyum pic.twitter.com/JixKDF6quo
– WarMonitor??????? (@WarMonitor3) September 10, 2022
Source: Observadora
