Kyiv Says Troops Withdrawing From ‘One Section of the Front,’ But Doesn’t Specify Where

Ukraine’s military command has decided to withdraw its troops from one section of the front line to allow soldiers to take up more advantageous positions. This move was necessary to preserve the lives of Ukrainian troops, according to former Commander of the Joint Forces of the AFU, Lt. Gen. Serhiy Naiev.

“A decision has been made to withdraw forces and assets from unfavorable positions on one section of the front. This has not only allowed us to preserve our soldiers but also to strengthen our defense. The enemy is suffering losses, and we now have the opportunity to act more effectively,” Naiev stated.

The lieutenant general did not specify the exact locations involved, but is likely referring to a tactical group defending an area of the Donetsk region.

Naiev said that Russian forces were continuing to suffer significant losses. Over the past month, thanks to the coordinated efforts of intelligence officers, drone operators, artillerymen, mortar crews, tank crews, and infantry, more than 30 enemy armored vehicles and more than 2,000 of Moscow’s troops have been taken out. This has significantly reduced the number of enemy attacks in this sector of the front.

“Everyone is working toward a common goal, and together we are moving forward! Together, we will win!” Naiev added.

Earlier Kyiv Post reported that Rustem Umerov denied the claims spread by Russian propaganda of the alleged encirclement of a large number of Ukrainian troops in Kursk region.

“Our Defense Forces continue to conduct defensive operations, and we are keeping a significant number of kilometers of enemy territory under control,” he said. “To preserve some availability of the forces and troops, we have conducted some planned redeployment to more favorable defense lines, but at this stage, no unit of our Defense Forces is encircled.”

Umerov stressed that the claims about “thousands of Ukrainian servicemen” being allegedly encircled are not correct. He recalled that a similar statement – ​​regarding the “encirclement” of Ukrainian troops in Kursk region – was made by Russian dictator Putin in October 2024 at the BRICS summit. At that time, this propaganda claim did not correspond to reality either.

A report in the military issues website Defence Blog on Saturday supported Umerov’s assertion citing the pro-Kremlin milblogger “Voenniy Obozrevatel” (Military Observer), which published maps it claimed showed the actual disposition of Ukrainian forces which contradicted Moscow’s claims.