The Russian Ministry of Defense assured that the Russian army is not retreating from the Kharkiv region, but is regrouping to the occupied part of the Donetsk region "to step up efforts in the Donetsk direction" in order to achieve the goal of a special military operation to liberate Donbas. The Russians said that during this operation a series of "disgusting and demonstrative events were carried out with the indication of the real actions of the troops".

The Russians circulated such a statement in order not to admit that the Ukrainian army carried out a successful offensive and liberated more than 30 settlements in the Kharkiv region, and allegedly they themselves decided within three days to curtail and organize the transfer of troops to the occupied Donbas.