Russia pulling back again? The New York Times reports western and Ukrainian officials say the Russian military has been losing ground around Ukraine’s second largest city of Kharkiv.
Officials say the Kremlin will probably redirect troops to the southeast, where it is said to be bolstering its forces in Izium, a city it captured last month. Izium, about two hours southeast of Kharkiv, has become a crucial operations center for Russia, which is said to be making gains in the eastern Donbas region, where fighting has been relentless.
Some military analysts say the Russian actions are similar to what its military did last month in a retreat from around Kyiv, the capital.