Thanks to the efforts of the Kharkiv Territorial Defense and the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Russians retreated far from the city area towards the Russian border. the city mayor told the BBC.

Mayor Ihor Terekhov added that Russian forces have not shot at his town in the past five days.

” There was only one attempt by the Russians to hit the city with a rocket missile near the Kharkiv airport, but the missile was knocked down by the Ukrainian air defense. “

According to the Institute for the Study of War, Russian forces attempting to surround the city in northeastern Ukraine appear to have abandoned their efforts and left their positions. The group says the Kremlin has perhaps decided to completely withdraw from its positions against the backdrop of fierce Ukrainian counterattacks and limited Russian reinforcements.

A Pentagon official reported on Friday that Ukrainian forces continue to retake towns and villages from Russians in the region.

Kharkiv, strategic city

With its 1.4 million inhabitants (before the war), the city of Kharkiv is the second largest in Ukraine. Located 50 km from the border, it is also close to the Donbass region, a territory where pro-Russian separatists are fighting.

It has been a strategic target since the beginning of the war for Moscow. But faced with resistance by Ukrainian armed forces on the ground, the Russians were quick to use heavy artillery to overthrow the city, causing hundreds of civilian casualties and extensive damage.

Mayor Ihor Terekhov told the BBC that Russian troops had only once entered a small part of the city’s main northeast and had not been there for a long time.

Calm reigns again in the city and people are gradually returning to livehe assured, and added that the authorities provide water, gas and electricity to its residents.

However, he mentioned many residential buildings were destroyed or damaged and one massive reconstruction work to come.

The governor of the region is warning for his part that the situation is still dangerous and warned residents of think of their safety Before entering.

He said Russian forces had heavily mined the area and continued to target other communities.

This indicates that it is too early to rest warning of the governor.

In a video address on Friday night, President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged that efforts to reclaim territory from Russian troops would be difficult, but the Ukrainians would not give up.

" The gradual liberation of the Kharkiv region proves that we will not leave anyone to the enemy. "

Very difficult negotiations

The Ukrainian president also addressed the situation in Mariupol, a martyred city in the southeast.

He claimed that negotiation very difficult is underway to free people still trapped inside the Azovstal Metallurgical Plant in exchange for the release of Russian prisoners of war.

Vice President of Ukraine Iryna Vereshchuk confirmed that efforts are now focused on the evacuation of 60 people, including the seriously injured and medics.

The Azovstal factory was the last bastion of the Ukrainian resistance in the town of Mariopol, which was taken by the Russian army in April.

Hundreds of soldiers still remain inside the factory despite weeks of intense shooting.