Thousands of Russian troops retreated in the face of a lightning Ukrainian offensive in the Kharkiv region that threatens to derail the Kremlin’s bid to cement control of Ukraine’s east.
A local Moscow-backed official and pro-Russian military bloggers said Saturday Kremlin forces had pulled out of Izyum, a staging post for the campaign in Donbas, to avoid being encircled.
Russia’s defense ministry confirmed the pullout from Izyum and other areas in a statement from Moscow, describing the move as necessary to bolster forces in the eastern Donetsk region.
