Russian soldiers have retreated from several key towns in eastern Ukraine’s Kharkiv region. The counteroffensive marks one of the biggest successes for Ukraine since the war began, including the retaking of the city of Izyum, which has been a logistical base for Russian forces. Russian officials say the withdrawal was strategic so they could “regroup”, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says his troops have reclaimed more than 3,000 sq km of territory from Russia. “It’s a good decision for them to run,” he said yesterday. Several security insiders believe the tide may be turning against Russia – including William Burns, the head of America’s Central Intelligence Agency, who says Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine can now be judged as a failure.