After a month and a half of fighting focused around Ukraine’s capital city of Kiev, Russia has withdrawn almost all its forces from the Kiev assault. Russia appears to be abandoning its northern assault entirely, leaving behind dead bodies of civilians on the streets. However, celebrations might be premature as Russia is expected to redirect all its northern forces to the south where they have been seeing more success.
The withdrawal of troops followed statements by the Russian general staff where they claimed to have achieved their main objective of destroying Ukraine’s military assets and infrastructure. These claims are disputed by both US and Ukraine officials. Independent sources have tracked hundreds of Russian military vehicles and aircraft destroyed or captured since the war began. Western sources speculate that the Russian assault on Kiev was intended to capture and remove the government of Ukraine and this withdrawal is nothing short of a major victory for Ukraine.
Russia is now expected to direct all its forces to the Donbas where, along with their Ukraine rebel allies, they are attempting to take full control of all territory claimed by the rebel republics. Russia is the only country that recognizes these republics as independent countries. The invasion of the Donbas has seen much more success than other fronts, owing to both the rebel fighters being more familiar with the terrain and the ground being more suited to the large, armoured manoeuvres Russia favours.
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