A Kremlin-installed official in southern Ukraineadmitted Tuesday that Russian forces have withdrawn from the village of Robotyne more than a week after Kyiv announced its recapture.The Russian army abandoned tactically abandoned this settlement, said Yevgeny Balitsky, the Russian-appointed governor of Ukraines occupied Zaporizhzhia region.Ukraine, which launched a grinding counteroffensive in June, announced Robotynes recapture on Aug.
28.Balitsky maintained that abandoning Robotyne would benefit Russian forces and claimed that the village ceased to exist after lengthy battles.Holding on to a bare surface without a way to completely dig in and create a safe area for yourself doesnt make sense, he said in an interview on state-run television.The Kremlin has regularly downplayed Kyivs counteroffensive, with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu declaring Wednesday that Ukrainian forces had "not achieved their goals in any of the sectors [of military operations]."Russias Defense Ministry has claimed to have repelled Ukrainian tank attacks in nearly daily updates since Kyivs Aug.
28 announcement.On Monday, the Russian militarysaid it had improved the tactical situation near Robotyne without indicating who controlled the village.Balitsky previously warned that territory beyond Robotyne would be a mass grave for Ukraines armed forces.The United States think tank Institute for the Study of War said geolocated footage posted Tuesdayshows Ukrainian forces advancing south of Robotyne.Robotynes capture paves the way for the Ukrainian forces to push deeper into Russian positions toward Crimea, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said last week.The Kremlin annexed southern Ukraines partially controlled Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and southeastern Ukraines Donetsk and Luhansk regions last fall.