Russia withdraws some troops to counter cross-border attacks from Ukraine.

According to the officials in the United States, Russia is withdrawing some troops from Ukraine in response to the ongoing cross-border attacks. This indicates that Russia is being forced to readjust its deployment for invading Ukraine.

The officials said, as reported by The Wall Street Journal, that the United States is still seeking to determine the significant impact of Russia’s move, but did not reveal how many troops the United States assesses Russia has shifted. However, the new U.S. assessment supports the claims of Ukrainian officials that last week’s cross-border attack in Kursk oblast has drawn Russian troops out of Ukraine, forcing them to urgently retreat.

Meanwhile, Ukraine has also deployed tanks and other armored vehicles to reinforce its forces advancing deep into Russian territory, occupying large swathes of Russian land, shocking the Kremlin.

Since launching the sudden attack last week, Ukrainian forces have advanced at least 20 miles into Russian territory, swiftly breaching the thinly defended border. Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered Russian forces to repel the Ukrainian troops while also working on other measures to respond.

The top Ukrainian military commander stated that Ukrainian troops are advancing and have gained control of 74 Russian towns and villages.

A U.S. official stated on Tuesday, August 13th, that Ukraine informed the United States that it has been looking for opportunities to exploit vulnerabilities in the Russian defenses. The official noted that Ukraine hopes the current cross-border attack will force Russia to withdraw from Ukraine, a situation that has started to unfold in the past day or so.

In Kyiv, Ukrainian officials have provided the most detailed public comments to date on the reasons behind this operation, stating that its purpose is to destroy the logistics and infrastructure Russia uses to wage war against Ukraine.

Russia launched airstrikes and shelling against Ukraine using Kursk oblast and provided support for invading Kharkiv oblast.

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhiy Tykhi stated that Kyiv is not interested in occupying Russian territory. He told reporters: “The purpose of this operation is to save the lives of our people and protect Ukrainian territory from Russian attacks.”

“The sooner the Russian Federation agrees to restore a just and peaceful… the sooner the Ukrainian Defense Forces will cease their attacks on Russian Federation territory,” Tykhi added.