Ukraine: Russia said it was withdrawing troops from Ukraine's eastern Kharkiv region as Kyiv declared massive territorial gains in its lightning retaliatory strike.
Meanwhile, a separatist leader formerly backed by Moscow said Russian forces were fighting a "tough" battle against Kyiv troops in several parts of the eastern Donetsk region.
A Ukrainian official also said Kyiv troops were closing in on the eastern city of Lisichansk, which was captured by Russian troops in July after fierce artillery fighting.
Moscow's withdrawal announcement late Saturday, along with Kyiv's claim to have entered the city of Kupiansk, represent the most significant change in battlefield dynamics after months of fighting in Moscow-dominated eastern Ukraine.
"It was decided to regroup Russian troops stationed in the Balaklia and Izium regions to strengthen efforts on the Donetsk front," Russia's defense ministry said in a statement.
The announcement came just days after Ukraine's special forces posted images on social media of camouflage-clad officers wielding automatic weapons "in Kupiyansk," a city of about 27,000 people.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address on Saturday that Ukrainian troops had liberated Vasilenkovo and Artemyivka in the Kharkiv region. "In recent times, the Russian military has done its best - its back," he said. "There is no place in Ukraine for the occupiers." "Never will," he said.
Separately, at the annual Yalta European Strategy Forum, Zelensky said that Russia is "doing everything to break the resistance of Ukraine, Europe and the world during the 90 days of this [coming] winter," adding to Western support for Kyiv. likely to weaken. As a result of rising energy prices and heating problems.
Observers anticipate further Ukrainian gains in the Kharkiv region, which borders Russia and has been either controlled by Moscow-backed authorities or shelled by its artillery for months.
There was no official confirmation that Kyiv troops with a population of about 45,000 had also driven Russian forces out of Izym, an important stage for Moscow's war effort, before the invasion. However, images on social media appeared to show Ukrainian forces within the city, and Russian observers of the conflict reported that Moscow's forces had already withdrawn.
"Ukrainian troops are advancing into eastern Ukraine, liberating more cities and villages." "His bravery, combined with Western military support, has yielded amazing results," said Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolaenko.
"It is important to continue sending weapons to Ukraine." "Defeating Russia on the battlefield means restoring peace in Ukraine," he said.
The invasion of Ukraine appears to have eluded Russian troops. Russian tanks, artillery and support vehicles were seen moving in columns on the dirt roads towards Kharkiv on Friday, in an effort to send reinforcements to the area.
A day later, however, Russia announced a three-day campaign to redeploy forces south of Kharkiv to the industrial Donbass region.
The capture of urban centers such as Kupiansk and Izyum would deal a serious blow to Moscow's ability to reassert its position on the eastern border, potentially reducing Russia's hold in the east.
According to AFP journalists, electric pylons were toppled, wires were scattered across the ground, and homes were destroyed in a village that was occupied by Ukrainians.
Journalists spotted abandoned Russian armor painted with the letter "Z"—a symbol of Russia's invasion—on a street in the recaptured city of Balaklia.
Ukrainian troops are moving south
A spokesman said on Saturday that Ukrainian troops were also advancing along parts of the southern border line, some dozens of kilometres, occupied by Russian troops at the start of the offensive.
Six major explosions were reported by Russian news agencies in Nova Kakhovka, a city occupied by Russian troops in the southern Kherson region.
In the eastern Donetsk region, rebel leader Denis Pushilin said that the situation in Lyman was "very difficult", and that fighting was also taking place in "many other areas", especially in the north of the region.
German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock arrived in Kyiv on Saturday for a surprise visit, apparently to show Berlin's support for Ukraine.
It came a week after Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal visited Berlin and reiterated Kyiv's call for weapons. Baerbock promised to continue "delivery of weapons, as well as humanitarian and financial support."
Germany has sent a variety of arms to Kyiv in recent weeks, supplementing other Western-supplied weapons that observers say have harmed Russia's supply and command capabilities.
Baerbock's visit follows that of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who promised Ukraine a nearly $3 billion military package.
Shmyhal also criticised the International Monetary Fund on Saturday for its "passive attitude" toward Ukraine's request for aid to help its economy, which has been severely harmed by Russia's invasion.
He spoke at the Yalta forum, where Ukraine Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said India had "reaped the benefits of our sacrifices" due to Western sanctions on Russian oil.
Because "someone dies in Ukraine and someone in Europe applies sanctions," India has the opportunity to purchase Russian oil at a "very low price," according to Kuleba.
However, Russian forces continued to cause significant damage with a shelling campaign in Kharkiv and the industrial region of Donbas in the east.
According to the region's head, Oleg Synegubov, a Russian shelling on Kharkiv's Kholodnogirskiy district on Saturday killed at least one person and injured two others.
Earlier, the head of the Donetsk region, which is part of Donbas, Pavlo Kyrylenko, said Russian shelling had killed two people.
Concerns have also grown in recent days about new shelling near Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in the country's south.
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