Fleeing Russian Tank - 1 of 23 A Ukrainian soldier shows the V sign on a car in Izym, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022. Ukrainian troops pressed for Russian troops to withdraw on Tuesday, pushing deeper into occupied territory and sending more Kremlin troops. Avoiding a counterattack, which dealt a stunning blow to Moscow's military prestige. (AP Photo/Kostiantyn Liberov) 1 of 23 A Ukrainian soldier shows the V sign on a vehicle Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, in Izia, Kharkiv Oblast, Ukraine. Ukrainian troops pressed for a withdrawal of Russian forces on Tuesday, pressing deeply. The occupation of the region and the Kremlin's deployment of additional troops to avoid confrontation, dealt a crushing blow to Moscow's military prestige. (AP Photo/Kustiantin Liberov)

KHARKIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian forces stepped up pressure Tuesday to withdraw Russian troops, pushing deeper into occupied territory and further Kremlin troops fleeing a counterattack that dented Moscow's military prestige. He gave a wonderful blow.

Fleeing Russian Tank

Fleeing Russian Tank

As the advance continued, Ukrainian border guards announced that the army had taken control of the town of Vochansk, just 3 kilometers (2 miles) from Russia, which they had captured on the first day of the battle. Russia has admitted that it has recently withdrawn troops from the northeastern region of Kharkiv.

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Russian forces are also withdrawing from Melitopol, the second largest city in the southern Zaporozhye region of Ukraine, the mayor of this city said before the occupation. His claim could not be immediately confirmed.

Melitopol has been occupied since early March. Its capture would give Kyiv the opportunity to cut Russian supply lines between the south and east of the Donbass region, two key areas where Moscow-backed forces have a foothold.

Ivan Fedorov, the mayor of Melitopol, wrote in a telegram that Russian forces are moving towards the annexation of Crimea by Moscow. He said the convoy of military equipment was reported to be at a checkpoint in Chunhar, a village that marks the border between the Crimean peninsula and mainland Ukraine.

In the newly liberated village of Chkalovsk, Kharkiv Oblast, Svetlana Honchar said the Russian withdrawal was sudden and swift.

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"They went like the wind," Honchar said Tuesday after loading cans of food into his car. "They ran through every need."

Some Russians seem to have been left behind in a hasty retreat. "They were trying to catch up," she said.

It was not yet clear whether the Ukraine blitzkrieg, which emerged after months of little-known activity, could signal a turning point in the nearly seven-month war.

Fleeing Russian Tank

But the country's officials were happy, releasing photos of their troops burning Russian flags and inspecting abandoned, burning tanks. In one video, border guards drop a poster saying "We are one nation with Russia."

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U.S. allies in Ukraine are not declaring victory, considering Russian President Vladimir Putin still has troops and resources at his disposal.

Suffering Russia's biggest defeat since a failed attempt to capture Kyiv at the start of the war, defense ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said forces were carrying out "massive offensives" on all fronts. However, there were no immediate reports of a sudden increase in Russian attacks.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that Ukrainian forces are taking measures to stabilize the recaptured areas in the south and east and targeting Russian soldiers, saboteurs and alleged collaborators.

He said: "It is very important to enter the occupied territory together with our soldiers with our flag and normal life." He gave the example of how the people of a village started getting pension after months of occupation.

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As the Russian troops withdrew, reports of confusion spread, as it was claimed that they had surrendered en masse. Claims cannot be verified.

Ukraine's deputy defense minister, Hanna Miliar, said Kiev was trying to persuade other Russian forces to surrender, and fired a volley of fire before their advance.

"The Russians are using you as cannon fodder. Your life means nothing to them. You do not need this war. Surrender to the armed forces of Ukraine," the leaflets read.

Fleeing Russian Tank

After the retreat, Ukrainian officials went to several areas to investigate alleged atrocities by Russian forces against civilians.

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Since Saturday, Kharkiv regional police have repeatedly reported that local police have found bodies of civilians in areas with signs of torture. Their statements cannot be verified.

On Tuesday, local police claimed that Russian soldiers had set up a "torture chamber" at the local police station in Balaklia, a town of 25,000 people that was occupied from March until last week.

Seri Bolvinov, the head of the police investigation department, cited testimonies from residents of Bakalya on Facebook and claimed that Russian soldiers "always detained at least 40 people."

British intelligence said a key force, the 1st Guards Tank Army, was "severely decimated" during the invasion, along with conventional Russian forces meant to fight NATO.

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Abbas Galyamov, an independent Russian political analyst and Putin's former speechwriter, said the failure may renew Russia's interest in peace talks.

But even if Putin comes to the negotiating table, Zelenskiy made it clear that Russia must return all of Ukraine's territories, including Crimea.

Putin's past actions have "limited his room for maneuver" so that he has "no sense at the table".

Fleeing Russian Tank

For negotiations to be possible, Galyamov said, Putin "needs to step down and replace him with someone who is relatively unaffected by the current situation," such as his deputy chief of staff, the mayor of Moscow or the Russian prime minister. .

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The retreat did not stop Russia from striking Ukrainian positions. The governor of the region, Oriya Sinyhobov, said that three people were killed and nine others were injured in the city of Lozova in the Kharkiv region.

And Ukrainian officials said Russia was continuing to attack Europe's largest nuclear facility, where the conflict has raised fears of a nuclear disaster. The Nikopol region, located across the Dnieper River from the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, was shelled six times overnight, but no injuries were immediately reported, regional governor Valentin Riznichenko said.

Attacks on Ukraine's second largest city, Kharkiv, continue, which has been under shelling for months.

A man, who had returned to feed the birds, shouted defiantly among the residential houses of Kharkiv, saying that a successful Ukrainian counterattack would lead to a strong Russian response against civilian targets. However, he said the Kremlin will not succeed in intimidating ordinary Ukrainians.

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Sarhi, who gave only his first name, said Putin will attack that we have no water, no electricity, to create more chaos and terror. "But he won't succeed because we will survive and Putin will soon be silenced!"

The backlash sparked rare public criticism of Putin's war in Russia. Some defenders of the war have rejected the view that victory lies with Ukraine, blaming the losses on Western weapons and fighters.

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