The Ukrainian army says Russian troops are "focused on withdrawing" from Ukraine's second-largest city. Meanwhile, Germany's chancellor condemned the war's impact on global food supplies. 

 

The Ukrainian military said Russian troops were withdrawing from Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv, after weeks of heavy fighting. 

A spokesman for the Ukrainian General Staff said Russia's main efforts "are focused on ensuring the withdrawal of its units from the city of Kharkiv."

The northern city had been a priority target for Russian forces, but after Ukraine's counteroffensive, Kyiv says Moscow was withdrawing from around Kharkiv and focusing on striking the eastern Donetsk region to "deplete Ukrainian forces and destroy fortifications."

The US-based Institute for the Study of War said late Friday that Russia seemed to have decided to withdraw from Kharkiv and focus on the eastern and western parts of Ukraine instead. 

"Russian President Vladimir Putin likely intends to annex occupied southern and eastern Ukraine directly... in the coming months," the think-tank said. 

DW