Russia-Ukraine War: Russia withdraws its troops from Kharkiv, Ukraine's army is moving rapidly in this area

Russia has withdrawn its troops from Ukraine's Kharkiv region in a significant development amid more than six months of conflict. The Ukrainian army is advancing rapidly in this area. This advance of Ukraine has surprised many people. It is clear from this move of Russia that it has suffered on an important front. Thousands of Russian soldiers are expected to be surrounded on this front. 

Earlier in the day, Russia's defense ministry said it was withdrawing its troops from two locations in Kharkiv. In both these areas, Ukrainian troops have made significant advances in the past week.

Troops will be deployed again in the Donysk region

Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konshenkov told AP that troops from the Balaklia and Izum areas would be redeployed to the Donysk region. Izum was an important base of the Russian army in Kharkiv. 

The spokesman said the move was in response to a special military operation to liberate the Donbass, a part of eastern Ukraine. Russia claims its own right over the region. Russia has cited the same reason for withdrawing troops from the Kharkiv region and re-deploying them to Donsk, as it did when withdrawing troops from Kyiv earlier this year.

There was fierce fighting between the Russian army and Ukraine

The Kremlin-backed leader of the separatist republic in the Donbass said there had been fierce fighting between Russian forces and Ukraine. Denis Pushilin said that the situation in the city of Lyman in the Donetsk region was very difficult and fighting was going on in many other areas, especially in the northern part of the region. He said that we have no choice but to keep the Donbass and we will be successful. We will definitely win. He further said that before the war there were more than 20,000 people living in this area. It was taken over by the Russian army in May.