The retreat of Russia’s forces from the Kharkiv district marks the most significant defeat for Russia since the start of war in Ukraine. The conflict however, is far from over argues Tchantouridze, Putin will now seek to decimate Ukraine’s economic and military infrastructure in a war of attrition, knowing that if Russia incur and further losses in the Black Sea and Kherson, they could lose more than just the war. 

In early September 2022, the Russian military forces suffered the most significant defeat since Moscow unleashed the war in Ukraine. The Russian troops retreated from the Kharkiv district in the Northeast of Ukraine and its surrounding areas ahead of the advancing Ukrainian forces. The Russian withdrawal was neither planned nor orderly, as evidenced by the large number of heavy equipment pieces left behind.

Despite this success by the Ukrainian forces fighting to liberate their country from the Russian invader, the war in Ukraine is far from over. Moscow will try to use this defeat in northeastern Ukraine to regroup and ready its troops for a winter campaign, hoping to achieve better success elsewhere in the active military theater.