DISINFO: Russian retreat around Kharkiv not a military failure but a deliberate ruse
SUMMARY
Russia did not suffer a major military defeat in the area around Kharkhiv. On the contrary, Russia’s armed forces deliberately conducted a ruse to fool Ukraine’s armed forces into thinking that its defenses are weak. Russia’s plans were always to simulate a retreat, draw out Ukraine’s forces away from their fortified positions, and destroy them. Russia now has Ukraine’s army right where it wants it.
RESPONSE
This is a motif from a broader disinformation campaign conducted by the Kremlin, aiming to prove that its “special military operation” in Ukraine is actually going according to plan. However, Putin's army retreat in Kharkhiv is seen as one of the biggest military challenges in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine yet.
Ukrainian forces have reconquered over 3,000 square kilometers of territory over the past week — more than all the territory Russia had added to its military occupation in the six months since the start of the invasion. Furthermore, Ukrainian troops exerted pressure on the retreating Russian forces, advancing further into occupied territory and sent even more of the Kremlin’s troops fleeing ahead of the Ukrainian counter-offensive actions. In addition, there is evidence that Ukrainian citizens accused of helping Russian military units in the Donbas region and the neighboring Kharkov province are also fleeing from the recently liberated territories. Further proof of Russia not retreating deliberately from the region as a ruse to fool the Ukrainians are claims from Ukrainian soldiers, stating that there are huge amounts of vehicles and ammunition left behind the fleeing Russian army.
More cases regarding the military activities in Ukraine include Ukrainian army has been attacking civilian areas in Donetsk with artillery for eight years, Russia destroyed the echelons of military equipment in Chaplyne railway station and Ukrainians dress in Russian uniform and loot houses in Donbas.