Kyiv – Ukraine military on Saturday said the country has "likely won the battle" for Kharkiv, its second largest city as Russian troops are withdrawing from the city after weeks of heavy bombardment. Kyiv and Moscow’s forces continue a grinding battle for the country’s east.
Ukraine’s general staff said the Russians forces have been pushed back from Kharkiv towards the border and said the "enemy's main efforts are focused on ensuring the withdrawal of its units" above anything else.
Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said Ukraine was “entering a new - long-term - phase of the war.”
The governor of the Kharkiv region, Oleh Synyehubov, in the east of Ukraine says that armed forces are pushing back the Russians and people are beginning to return to their homes.
Oleh also warned that the situation there is still dangerous and people should consider their safety before returning.
US, Russian defense chiefs speak
Russian Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu spoke with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday after months of refusing direct contact with his American counterpart. But officials said the call didn’t appear to signal any change in Moscow’s war in Ukraine.
The call, initiated by Austin, marked the highest level American contact with a Russian official since the war began in late February.
In a statement, the Pentagon said that Austin “urged an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and emphasized the importance of maintaining lines of communication.”
Direct communications between the U.S. and Russian defense and military leaders is considered crucial in order to avoid any misunderstandings or unwarranted escalation in hostilities.
U.S. and other Western officials have described Russia’s fight in Ukraine, particularly the effort to wrest greater control over the eastern Donbas region as more than two weeks behind schedule, and failing to make consistent progress.
Ukraine’s top prosecutor put a Russian soldier on trial for war crimes, the first of dozens that could face charges. Vadim Shishimarin, 21, appeared at a preliminary hearing in Kyiv on Friday. He faces life in prison if convicted.
-AP/BBC