Russia’s defense ministry says it has withdrawn Russian troops from the strategic town of Lyman in eastern Ukraine.
“Due to the threat of encirclement, the allied troops have withdrawn from Krasnyi Luman to better positions,” the statement said.
Krasnyi (Red) Lyman was the old Soviet name for Lyman, which Ukrainian forces say they entered.
Russia calls its troops “allies” with local fighters backed by Moscow.
Since late May, Russian troops have transformed the city of Lyman in the Donetsk region into a major logistics hub for troop deployments and ammunition supplies.
The city is also a major railway hub, connecting Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv regions in eastern and north-eastern Ukraine.