Ukraine, US increase intelligence-sharing prior to latest attack

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Despite Washington providing information to Kiev about Russian command posts, ammunition depots, and other potential targets, Ukrainian officials had been hesitant to disclose operational plans to their US counterparts earlier in the conflict, fearing that doing so "could highlight weaknesses and discourage continued American support," based on the information reported by The New York Times (NYT).

However, all changed this summer, when Kiev concluded that discussing preparations for its counteroffensive would, contrary to past fears, compel Washington to supply Ukraine with even more weapons, according to unidentified senior US officials cited by the NYT report.

Furthermore, the sources highlighted that this decision enabled the US to provide "better and more relevant information on Russian weaknesses." 

NYT revealed that they declined to elaborate on how much intelligence has been given between the parties or how deeply the Americans have been involved in the preparation of the Ukrainian attack against Kharkov.

However, one official said that the US has "constantly" discussed with Ukraine measures to thwart Russia's progress in the country's east.

Russian forces withdraw from Kharkov

Russia announced on Saturday that its forces were withdrawing from the Kharkov region that lies on the eastern front after the army had the region under its control for months.

"To achieve the goals of the special military operation to liberate Donbas, a decision was made to regroup Russian troops stationed in the Balakliya and Izyum regions, to bolster efforts along the Donetsk front," the Russian ministry of defense said in a statement. 

The drawdown of the Russian armed forces comes in light of the Ukrainian military saying they entered the town of Kupiansk in Kharkov.

The withdrawal from Kharkov to Donetsk, Moscow explained, was carried out over the course of a three-day operation conducted to minimize Russian losses. However, the leader of the Donetsk People's Republic, Denis Pushilin, said there was fierce fighting between the Russian and Ukrainian forces in the DPR.

Pushilin explained that the situation in the town of Lyman, Donetsk, was "very difficult" and that fighting had erupted in "a number of localities", particularly in the north. 

"We have no other choice but to keep Donbas and we'll succeed. We'll win of course," Pushilin stressed. 

In light of the retreat, Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson Igor Konashenkov told reporters that his country's military eliminated more than 2,000 Ukrainian fighters near Balakleya and Izyum over the past 72 hours.

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