Ukraine says Russia withdrawing from nation’s second-largest city

The Ukrainian military said Saturday that Russian forces are withdrawing from Kharkiv. 

Ukraine’s general staff said the troops were pulling back from the country’s second-largest city and focusing on guarding supply routes. 

UKRAINIANS ‘APPEAR TO HAVE WON’ BATTLE OF KHARKIV, US THINK TANK SAYS

Kharkiv has been under assault since Russia started its invasion in late February.

Recently, Russia has made incremental gains in the eastern Donbas region, according to a senior U.S. defense official – though morale remains an issue. 

The fight continues – after failing to capture Ukraine’s capital – and the Ukrainian military chief for the Luhansk province said Friday that Russian troops had nearly full control of Rubizhne. 

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s forces had also made some headway, retaking six towns or villages. 

MOSCOW THREATENS TO RESPOND IF NATO MOVES NUKES ANY CLOSER TO ITS BORDER

In his nightly video address late Friday, the leader said that “no one today can predict how long [the] war will last.

“This will depend, unfortunately, not only on our people, who are already giving their maximum,” Zelenskyy noted. “This will depend on our partners, on European countries, on the entire free world.”

A destroyed vehicle lies in the middle of a road in north Kharkiv, east Ukraine, Friday, May 13, 2022. 
(AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

President Biden said earlier this month that he is concerned that Russian President Vladimir Putin “doesn’t have a way out” and will continue his brutal war in an attempt to save face at home.

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According to the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) there have been 7,389 civilian casualties in Ukraine, including 3,573 deaths and 3,816 injuries. 

However, the death toll is “thousands higher” than reported, according to a United Nations (U.N.) official.

Fox News’ Caitlin McFall, Greg Norman and The Associated Press contributed to this report.