Russian forces continued to withdraw from the north of Ukraine, APA reports citing EL PAÍS.
According to Ukrainian authorities, they have already left the Kyiv and Sumy regions entirely and are about to do the same in the Chernihiv region. the US Defense Department has confirmed that there are no Russian troops left around the cities of Kyiv and Chernihiv.
According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), retreating Russian troops are redeploying to Belarus and the Russian region of Belgorod. And in the east, “Russian and proxy forces are likely attempting to consolidate forces and material for an offensive in the coming days,” according to the ISW.
Experts were expecting some Russian forces to redeploy to reinforce the Izyum-Slovyansk axis, in the northeast. From there, the Russians were trying to advance in order to encircle Ukrainian forces fighting in the eastern Donbas region. The city of Izyum may have already fallen, according to Reuters, but the fighting continued south of there in the direction of Slovyansk. According to the ISW, Russian troops have made no major advances in the last few hours, and they are being slowed down by Ukrainian forces defending the road that connects both cities. Russian troops could try to find alternative ways to advance towards the Donbas.
In the southeast, the battle of Mariupol continued unabated. Russian forces with heavy air and artillery support continued assaults on Ukrainian positions in Mariupol, said the ISW. A high-ranking US Defense Department source said that Mariupol remains isolated but that the Russians have not taken it despite sources who claim the contrary. But verified information about the city’s status is limited, said the ISW, and it is unclear how much longer its defenders will be able to hold out.
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