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In a surprise offensive, Ukraine recaptures territory from Russian forces in Kharkiv
Ukraine's armed forces have reportedly recaptured swaths of territory and are making "significant gains" against Russia's occupation of Kharkiv.
International
Ukraine's armed forces have recaptured large swaths of territory and are making "significant gains" against Russia's occupation of the northwest region of Kharkiv, the U.K.'s defense ministry said in an intelligence briefing Sunday.
Russian forces have likely “withdrawn units from the area,” but that fighting continues around the strategically important cities of Kupiansk and Izyum, it said in it daily update on the war in Ukraine, posted to Twitter.
Ukraine's government claims Russia's retreat from Kharkiv is a major turning point in the six-month-old conflict, as thousands of Russian soldiers abandoned their weapons and ammunition stockpiles to flee the Ukrainian advance, they said.
Some Western experts have described the withdrawal as the worst defeat for Russian forces since they were forced back from the capital Kyiv in March.
On his Telegram channel Sunday, Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelenskiyy said the Ukrainian flag had “returned to Chkalovske, Kharkiv region.”
“It will be like that everywhere. We will expel the occupiers from every Ukrainian town and village,” he added.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a Telegram post Saturday that “a decision was made to regroup” some of its troops from the Balakliya and Izyum areas — Izyum had been a major base for Moscow’s troops — and transfer them to Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk region.
The move was made “in order to achieve the stated goals of the special military operation to liberate Donbas,’” the ministry said, referring to the industrial heartland in Ukraine’s east that became the focal point of the Kremlin’s war after it was forced to give up on its assault on the capital, Kyiv.
NBC News could not independently verify the claims of either side.