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 that Moscow’s forces had pulled out of Izyum, a staging post for the campaign in Donbas, to avoid being encircled.
Kyiv’s troops capture logistical hub, Russian staging post
Military gains mark major setback for Russian invasion
