Kharkiv Official Admits Moscow Troops Beaten Back by Ukrainian Troops Crossing Border, Returning to Russian Territory

Illustration of the Russian army in Ukraine. (Wikimedia Commons/Mil.ru)

JAKARTA - The Ukrainian army is said to have succeeded in beating Moscow's troops across the border, back to Russian territory, along with the success of the Kyiv counterattack.

Vitaly Ganchev, the Russian-appointed head of Moscow's occupation administration, in the remaining territory of Russian-held territory in the Kharkiv region, acknowledged that Ukrainian troops had infiltrated the border.

The official did not say how many retreating Russian troops had left Ukrainian territory and out into Russia but described a significant setback.

"On the ground around Kharkiv, we assess that Russian troops have largely surrendered their gains to Ukraine and have retreated north and east. Many of these troops have moved across the border into Russia", the official said.

Meanwhile, a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity said that while retreating, they had seen anecdotal reports of Russian troops abandoning their equipment, "which could be an indication of disorganized Russian command and control."

The remarks to Pentagon reporters followed a quick gain for Ukrainian forces over the weekend.

Ukraine's general staff said its troops had retaken more than 20 towns and villages in just the past day, as Ukrainian forces swept deeper into territory seized from fleeing Russian troops.

The US military official was optimistic, but cautious when describing Ukraine's progress.

"Clearly they are fighting hard", the official said, citing advances in the south and east to retake territory.

Ukraine said it was repelling Russian attack attempts in two key areas of the Donetsk region, the towns of Bakhmut and Maersk, near the coal-producing town of Horlivka, the general staff said in an update Monday evening.

However, a senior US military official said Russia was still focusing its weapons on Bakhmut.

"We continue to see massive use of artillery and air strikes", he said.