Russia announces troop pullback from Ukraine's Kharkiv area

“in order to achieve the stated goals of the special military operation to liberate Donbas,’” one of the eastern Ukraine regions that Russia has declared sovereign.

Russia is still saying it's a 'special military operation' not a war, and saying a section of a sovereign nation, a section that by definition was and remains sovereign is now sovereign. Russian imperialism at its worst.

Russia started the war for 'liberation' in Donbas long ago providing weapons to dissidents, which led to who knows how many dead or made houseless. Putin send your armies back to their own homes and prisons in Russia and liberate them, allow them to live lives as free individuals not your personal serfs. I think by now many Russian troops in Ukraine have noticed Ukrainian citizens s have it better than Russian serfs controlled by their big brother Vlad.

Ukraine's special military operation to denazify Russia is proceeding spectacularly.

It sounds like the Russians have retreated from Izyum. Keep pounding, Ukraine!

A huge propaganda win for Ukraine, the west will now continue to throw money and arms into the fight to prolong the conflict. These gains will be overturned in the coming weeks. The Ukrainians have lost a lot of men and materials in the past week, the Russians don't fight to the death, they just withdraw, reinforce and retake later.

No major battles even took place, the separatists merely strategically pulled out of areas that are difficult to defend.

errr… because they were having real difficulty defending them.

These gains will be overturned in the coming weeks. 

Are you sure you don't want to soften your language a bit, maybe using "may", "might", or "could be"? Otherwise it sounds like you have a crystal ball, which none of us have.

No major battles even took place, the separatists merely strategically pulled out of areas that are difficult to defend.

“It wasn’t a K.O. I was just suddenly sleepy and decided to take a nap. I actually won”

Is Donetsk next?

@bronco

So you & Putin have given up trying to win the war by conventional means, & are now trying mafia-like extortion tactics ?

Again, you’re both underestimating how much Europe want to be rid of Putin - short term pain for long term gain

@kipling

the Russians don't fight to the death, they just withdraw, 

or they surrender, which they’ve been doing in large numbers. Most don’t want to be there.

reinforce and retake later.

you might want to go & reinforce your comrades. If you leave now, you should make it time for them retaking it.

No major battles even took place, the separatists merely strategically pulled out of areas that are difficult to defend.

Pffft. Keep telling yourself that.

For the Kremlin, they need to drag this out until January or February 2023, when Europe will be literally freezing to death and desperate for Russian gas.

Yeah, dragging this out in order to try and make Europeans cold is about all the Russians can do. Because their army sucks.

These gains will be overturned in the coming weeks. 

Just like the Russians regained the territory they lost around Kyiv. And Snake Island. And the way they refloated the Moskva.

Ukraine needs to win the war but is now winning battles.

Videos out of Izyum now are showing massive numbers of Russian armored vehicles and other equipment either abandoned or destroyed. Looks like the Russians have “donated” enough heavy equipment for the Ukrainians to supply an entire Division.

This might be their best goodwill gesture yet.

Yeah, dragging this out in order to try and make Europeans cold is about all the Russians can do. Because their army sucks.

That could be why so many Russians are surrendering. They know how cold it’s gonna get if they don’t and this drags on much longer.

I see... It is a very clever strategy. It seems they forgot lots of their equipment and soldiers though in the strategic retreat.

No major battles even took place, the separatists merely strategically pulled out of areas that are difficult to defend.

For the Kremlin, they need to drag this out until January or February 2023, when Europe will be literally freezing to death and desperate for Russian gas.

I noticed that everyone on the Russian side from Mini-me to the talking heads on state media (any station still on the air) to the increasingly “Baghdad Bob-ish” fan bois on JT are gung-ho vis-a-vis fighting Ukraine; everyone BUT the frontline Orcs sent as cannon-fodder, er…. to “de-Nazify new Russia.”

They don’t seem to be so hot in the idea. Their experience has been so bad that they’re literally “voting with their feet” and abandoning their positions in droves. So much so that the Russians are deploying helicopters to pick brave warriors who have “lost their way” and return them to their units! How customer-oriented of them!

All the word-smithing in the world won’t change the facts: At THIS point, the poorly equipped, poorly trained, poorly led, poorly disciplined Russian “army” is getting its ass kicked.

The combat-alfalfa Russians in the field know this because it’s their daily existence. They know the locals don’t support them, they know they’re viewed as occupiers. They know the reasons given for being there are utter bs. And they’ve had enough of being hungry, hated, and forced to fight with crap gear because all the good stuff (by Russian standards) was stolen and sold. So they’re just up and quitting in droves.

Scene after scene of the locals greeting the Ukrainian army with tears, cheers, hugs and food only give truth to the lie of a desire for Russian intervention.

For the Kremlin, they need to drag this out until January or February 2023, when Europe will be literally freezing to death and desperate for Russian gas.

You're gonna be really disappointed when the only people 'literally' freezing to death are Russian tropps in Ukraine when they run out of supplies.

Europe will be just fine, they've got lots of money and lots of friends.

A huge propaganda win for Ukraine, the west will now continue to throw money and arms into the fight to prolong the conflict.

A massive propaganda defeat for your boy Putin, more and more Russian families are going to be demanding to know why so many of their sons are dying in 'training exercises'

A huge propaganda win for Ukraine

”A huge win for Ukraine”

Fixed it for you.

No thanks are needed.

Bronco

No major battles even took place, the separatists merely strategically pulled out of areas that are difficult to defend.

By strategic retreat, do you mean ran as fast as possible to avoid being trapped by Ukrainian forces, leaving massive amounts of equipment and ammo?

If so, sure.

This discussion is timed for the cold months of winter after gas reserves reach zero in Europe.

This is why commanders in the separatist areas have been ordered to pull back and wait for winter to set in

This doesn't even make sense. Sure, Putin is trying to break European resolve by cutting off gas.

But why would the troops have to pull back from hard won territory? That has nothing to do with gas supplies to Europe.

This doesn't even make sense. Sure, Putin is trying to break European resolve by cutting off gas.

Even if every single European country cut of aid and support tomorrow (they won't), other non-European allies could make up the difference. It's the least we can do for the brave Ukrainians who have already given so much.

Mr Kipling

The Ukrainians have lost a lot of men and materials in the past week, the Russians don't fight to the death, they just withdraw, reinforce and retake later.

Not during this attack in the East they didn't. You don't lose men from retreating armies. And they gifted the Ukrainian army with heaps of equipment and ammo, their retreat was so desparate. And I'm sure the Ukrainians got many POWs (although I can't confirm this).

So does their reinforcement include asking for their tanks and shells back?

I do believe that Russia will attack in a different area along the front, if for nothing than to stop losing face. And we will see if Ukraine is up to the task. I believe they are.

UChosePoorly

This doesn't even make sense. Sure, Putin is trying to break European resolve by cutting off gas.

Even if every single European country cut of aid and support tomorrow (they won't), other non-European allies could make up the difference. It's the least we can do for the brave Ukrainians who have already given so much.

Also, Europe have prepared for this scenario and have filled their storage facilities full of gas. They have enough to last the winter.

A 'Russian retreat' at this time of year has been pretty effective for them once or twice before, I seem to recall.

You'd think that Zelensky's advisors might have pointed that out to him, especially given that for the last several winters, the American supported government in Ukraine has resorted to helping itself to European purchased gas in transit from Russia to keep the heat and lights on in the areas it controlled even with Europe's largest nuclear power plant connected to its grid.

A 'Russian retreat' at this time of year has been pretty effective for them once or twice before, I seem to recall.

You'd think that Zelensky's advisors might have pointed that out to him

Is there any way you can get in touch and tell him?

You'd think that Zelensky's advisors might have pointed that out to him

I was playing golf with him the other morning, I should have said something to him. "Hey Volodymyr, don't be fooled by those fleeing Soviets and all their discarded trucks and ammo. It might be another one of them cunning 'feint' things"

RichardPearce

A 'Russian retreat' at this time of year has been pretty effective for them once or twice before, I seem to recall.

Yeah, right. They fought for months to get Severodonetsk and Lysychansk and they are just going to retreat for the winter? And in the process leave huge amounts of equipment and ammo and troops to be captured. That's "pretty effective"?

Sounds a like the plan of a madman.

Yes, the oldest trick in the book. Retreat so that you get to go through the fun of invading again. Leave your equipment to make it more of a fair fight next time.

A 'Russian retreat' at this time of year has been pretty effective for them once or twice before, I seem to recall.

'Russian retreat' at this time of year has been pretty effective for them once or twice before, I seem to recall.

Once was 200 years ago & the other was 80 years ago. And both times, Russia was on home soil against an invading army.

Please go home! You’ve proved your point, which is that you’re very good at making life miserable for those who just want to be left alone. Just go home. Now!

A 'Russian retreat' at this time of year has been pretty effective for them once or twice before, I seem to recall.

Yes, as with those occasions this retreat should make it extremely difficult for the Ukrainians to capture and hold Moscow. Very good point.