The withdrawal is the third since the invasion began on February 24. Russia abandoned its offensive in the Kyiv region in the spring. In September, after military setbacks in the northeast, it abandoned almost the entire Kharkiv region.
According to the Ministry of Defense of Moscow, she did not suffer losses in the withdrawal. Ukraine claims that the process was very chaotic and that many Russians drowned. It is said that Russian soldiers, whether in civilian clothes or not, remained in the city. The Ukrainian army called them to surrender.