Kyiv has confirmed that its troops have entered the key strategic town of Izyum and have begun clearing it, amid reports of a rapid advance.
Videos of troops at the entrance to the city circle on Telegram and Russia's Defence Ministry described the retreat as a "regrouping".
They said: "In order to achieve goals of the special military operation… a decision was made to regroup the Russian troops stationed in Balakliya and Izyum to step up efforts in the Donetsk direction."
