After months of fighting in Ukraine’s second-largest city, Russian troops were soundly defeated and reported to be retreating from Kharkiv in what is seen to be another significant victory for the Ukrainians. Kharkiv, which is just 50 miles from Belgorod in Russia, is one of the most heavily bombed areas in Ukraine, following the southern city of Mariupol.

In the village of Ruska Lozova, Kharkiv, the Ukrainian Territorial Defense, the national guard, and the Ukrainian army were trying to push the Russians back to the border. It was recently liberated last April, a significant development at that time as it remained vital to the Ukrainian defense. Fierce fighting had been going on in Kharkiv, with each side trying to target each other’s artillery, tanks, and other military installations so troops could advance forward. It seems that the Ukrainians have won this decisive battle, which may signal the Russians to rethink their decisions about this invasion as they continue to struggle on the battlefield.

According to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, the Russians were observed to be pulling out from the frontlines in Kharkiv, and it was focusing on guarding their supply routes. “The enemy’s main efforts are focused on ensuring the withdrawal of its units from the city of Kharkiv,” a spokesperson for the Ukrainian General Staff said on Saturday. However, the Russians were still reportedly launching mortar, artillery, and airstrikes in the province in a delaying action to prevent their columns from being overrun by Ukrainian forces.

The Institute for the Study of War also reported that the Russians had “likely” abandoned their objective of completing the encirclement of Ukrainian forces from Donetsk City to Izyum. They were also reportedly shifting efforts to Luhansk.

“Russian units have generally not attempted to hold ground against counterattacking Ukrainian forces over the past several days, with a few exceptions,” they said. “Ukraine thus appears to have won the Battle of Kharkiv. Ukrainian forces prevented Russian troops from encircling, let alone seizing Kharkiv, and then expelled them from around the city, as they did to Russian forces attempting to seize Kyiv.”