The governor of the Sumy region in northern Ukraine said on Monday that Russian troops no longer occupy any towns or villages in the region and had withdrawn, while Ukrainian troops were working to drive out the remaining units.
Speaking on national television, Governor Dmytro Zhyvytskyi said Russian troops had abandoned much equipment in the region, which straddles Ukraine’s border with Belarus.
Since the last round of negotiations between the Russians and Ukrainians on Tuesday (29) the Russian army has been leaving regions it dominated as part of the evolution of these talks. After this latest meeting, held in Turkey, the Russian Defense Ministry promised to “drastically reduce” military activities in the northern regions of Kiev and Chernihiv.
While the presence and attacks in the northern region cool down, the Russian army moves towards eastern Ukrainian dominance. On Monday, the head of Luhansk’s regional military administration, Serhiy Haidai, said the Russians had amassed a “significant accumulation of troops and military equipment” in the region, in apparent preparation for an offensive.
In an interview with CNN, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he doubted the Russian retreat and that in fact the troops would be resupplying and regrouping. “The attacks will continue and we also have concerns of larger attacks in the eastern and southern regions,” he said, pointing to a change in strategy. A view shared by US officials, who see a “major shift in strategy” given Russia’s failure to dominate the northern region of the country.
Sources linked to the US Intelligence Department and the European military argue that Vladimir Putin is shifting the focus of the invasion to eastern Ukraine in order to “celebrate some victory”, with a focus on the Donbass region where Russia has supported separatists in recent years.
Images revealed this Sunday (3) show cities in post-apocalyptic scenarios after Russian troops leave the places. In the city of Bucha, northwest of Kiev, at least 20 civilian bodies were found on the streets. Russia denies the massacre and accuses Ukraine of “provoking” and trying to “discredit” the Russian army.
*with information from Max Hunder of Reuters
Source: CNN Brasil
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