Russia gives up key northeast towns as Ukrainian forces advance

Moscow suffered its worst defeat since March, when it was forced from Kyiv. It was hailed by Ukraine as a turning point of the six-month-old war. Thousands of Russian soldiers fled with ammunition and other equipment.

Russian forces used Izium to serve as their logistics base during one of the main campaigns, a long-running assault from the north on Donetsk and Luhansk's Donbas regions.

According to the state-run TASS news agency, Russia's defense ministry stated that it had instructed troops to leave Donetsk and strengthen operations elsewhere in Donetsk.

TASS reported that the head of Russia's administration at Kharkiv advised residents to leave the province and to flee to Russia in order to "save their lives." Witnesses reported seeing cars jammed with Russian-held residents.

Russia would suffer a major blow if the gains reported are maintained. Western intelligence services claim that Russia has suffered massive casualties. It would also provide a boost to Ukraine, which wants to prove that the West is supporting it with weapons.

Kyiv is under pressure to make progress before winter sets in. Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened to stop all energy shipments to Europe if Brussels proposes to limit the price of Russian oil exports.

Dmytro Kuleba, Ukraine's foreign minister, stated in Kyiv the Ukrainian forces have demonstrated that they are capable of defeating Russia's army using the weapons provided to them.

He said: "And so, I repeat: The more weapons that we get, the faster our victory will be and the quicker this war will end."

Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the President of Ukraine, stated in his Saturday nightly video address that Ukraine's Armed Forces had retaken approximately 2,000 kilometres (770 miles) of territory from its counter-offensive earlier this month.

"The Russian army claims the title of the fastest army in the world... Keep running!" Zelenskiy's chief-of-staff, Andriy Yaermak, posted thi tweet.

Officials from Ukraine did not confirm that they had captured Izium. However, Yermak posted a photo of Izium's outskirts and tweeted a grapes emoji. The name of the city means "raisin".

Hours after Ukrainian troops had captured Kupiansk, further north, which was the only railway hub that supplied Russia's entire front-line across northeastern Ukraine, the Russian withdrawal announcement was made. On Saturday, Ukrainian officials uploaded photos of troops raising the blue-and-yellow flag of their country in front Kupiansk’s city hall.

This resulted in thousands of Russian troops being abruptly cut off from supplies at a front that had seen some of most intense battles of war.

In remarks to Telegram, Igor Girkin, an ex-commander of pro-Russian forces, described the Russian pullback as "a major defeat".

For weeks, Ukraine has been talking up a major counteroffensive in South Ukraine. Details are scarce but it is under way.

Russia continues to hold large areas in the Donbas, and the Crimean Peninsula south of the Crimean Peninsula that it seized in 2014.

Kyiv's forces broke through the northeast front line days ago and have since retaken dozens more towns and villages in a rapid mechanised assault. They are now moving forward dozens (or miles) per day.

Hanna Malyar (Ukraine's deputy defense minister) issued a warning to people who report that towns were "taken" by Ukrainian troops. She said that troops had entered Balakliia just a few days before, but that Ukraine took control of the city on Saturday.

Reuters witnessed burned-out vehicles with the symbol of Russia's invasion bearing the "Z" symbol in Hrakove. This was one of the many villages that were captured during the Ukrainian advance. The Russians abandoned positions in apparent haste and left behind boxes of ammunition and rubbish.

A wall was spray-painted with "Hello everybody, we are from Russia," In a yard, three bodies were found in white bags.

Volodymyr Tymoshenko was the regional chief of police. He said that Ukrainian police had moved in the previous morning and checked the identities local residents who lived under Russian occupation since day two.

"The first function of the government is to give them the help they need. He said that the next task is to document the crimes of Russian invaders in the territories they temporarily occupied.

Witness in Valuyki in Russia's Belgorod Region near the border to Ukraine told Reuters that she saw Kupiansk families sleeping and eating in their cars on roads.

"I saw many people from Kupiansk at the market today," said the witness. Witness said that half of the city had been taken by the Ukrainian army, and Russia is retreating.

Vyacheslav Gladkov, Belgorod governor, said that officials were providing food and medical assistance to those queuing at the crossing into Russia. Senator Andrey Turchak from the pro-Kremlin United Russia party reported that more than 400 vehicles were at the frontier.

According to Ukrainian officials, a Russian rocket fire struck Kharkiv on Saturday evening. It killed at least one person and damaged several homes.

Reuters was unable to confirm the battlefield accounts independently.

"The advance has been enormous. "There are some sporadic battles but most of the occupiers fleeing," Serhiy Gaidai, Luhansk regional governor, told Ukrainian television.

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