Russia withdrew forces from the Lyman, a city within the newly annexed region of Eastern Ukraine.
Analyst Comment: The corporate press is touting this as a huge victory for Ukraine. Beware of black and white narratives. War is filled with many battles that are won and lost by both sides. Earlier in the war, I pointed out how Russia underestimated Ukrainian forces, overestimated their own readiness, and underestimated the speed of foreign military aid. Russia took some major hits early on and had to dramatically change strategy. Now Russia is playing defense and has a distinct advantage. Ukraine has every available body fighting Russia. Russia has just activated its reserves and has many more people it could mobilize. Meanwhile, reports on the ground indicate Ukraine is taking very heavy losses for a few victories while Russia is playing it safe; preferring to withdraw and reposition to fight on more advantageous terrain. Without foreign troops, Ukraine looks like they will lose the war within a few months.