Russia's war in Ukraine: September 10, 2022

By Adrienne Vogt and Maureen Chowdhury, CNN

Updated 0236 GMT (1036 HKT) September 11, 2022
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11:37 a.m. ET, September 10, 2022

Russian military leaving Kharkiv region "temporarily," Russian-backed administration says

From CNN's Tim Lister

The Russian backed-local authorities in the north of Kharkiv region have announced that the Russian military is leaving the area "temporarily."

The Military-Civic Administration of the Vovchansk district, through which many Russian supplies travel toward the front lines, said in a brief Telegram post: "Russian military are leaving Volchansk‼️ [Vovchansk] temporarily. City’s population continues to evacuate."

The administration quoted a member of the Russian parliament, Evgeniy Evtushenko, as saying that the local headquarters would be moved across the border to the Russian city of Belgorod.

“In order to save civilians’ lives, Russian Armed Forces have made a decision to leave our city. [The] City’s administration will be moved to Belgorod. Its branches will be in Kursk, Yakutsk, Vladivostok and St. Peter[s]burg till the situation in the city stabilizes," Evtushenko said.

"Russian armed forces will return control of all Russian land in Kharkiv region," he added.

Vovchansk has been an important link in the Russian military's supply chain from Belgorod, and it remained under Russian control even as Ukrainian forces retook some territory north and east of the city of Kharkiv in May.

1:15 p.m. ET, September 10, 2022

Macron and Zelensky discuss Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and support for the IAEA mission

From CNN’s Pierre Meilhan and Xiaofei Xu

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi talks to the press after his visit to the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on September 1.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi talks to the press after his visit to the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on September 1. (Genya Savilov/AFP/Getty Images)

France’s President Emmanuel Macron and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed the situation around the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant and expressed their support for the International Atomic Energy Agency mission.

During a phone call on Saturday, both leaders “shared the same demand for a withdrawal of Russian forces from the area to guarantee the safety and security of nuclear facilities,” the Elysee Palace said in a statement.

Macron also asked Zelensky “about developments in the conflict on the ground and about Ukraine’s needs which France could help to meet,” the French presidency said.

1:03 p.m. ET, September 10, 2022

Russian Defense Ministry says forces in Kharkiv were told to redirect to Donetsk and "regroup"

From CNN's Josh Pennington, Fred Pleitgen and Tim Lister

In this handout photo taken from video released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Friday, September 9, Russian military vehicles drive to the Kharkiv direction on a mission in Ukraine.
In this handout photo taken from video released by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Friday, September 9, Russian military vehicles drive to the Kharkiv direction on a mission in Ukraine. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service/AP)

In its first response to the gains made by Ukrainian forces in the last few days, the Russian Defense Ministry has said that "the decision was made to regroup Russian troops in the areas of Balakleya and Izyum and redirect their efforts in the Donetsk direction." 

The ministry said in a series of statements Saturday: "The operation to liberate Donbas included a number of diversionary and demonstration actions marking the actual troop activities," and claimed that Russian forces had "destroyed more than two thousand Ukrainian and foreign combatants, including well over 100 armored vehicles and artillery in three days." 

The ministry said the "Russian Federation's forces were reduced and redeployed to the DNR [Donetsk People's Republic] over three days," and had "opened heavy fire on the enemy in order to prevent incurring losses."

The ministry did not acknowledge any retreat from Kharkiv, suggesting instead a planned redeployment. 

Earlier Saturday, the ministry briefing displayed a map of territorial control in Ukraine showing that Kupiansk and Izium were still in Russian hands. Neither city is any longer held by Russian forces. 

12:50 p.m. ET, September 10, 2022

Ukrainian defense minister says allies are "amazed" by success of Ukrainian forces 

From CNN's Tim Lister 

Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov holds a news conference about the support for Ukraine in Copenhagen, Denmark August 10.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov holds a news conference about the support for Ukraine in Copenhagen, Denmark August 10. (Ritzau Scanpix/Martin Sylvest/Reuters)

Oleksiy Reznikov, the Ukrainian defense minister, said that Ukraine's allies are "amazed" by the recent successes of the country's military.

Speaking at the end of a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Ramstein, Germany, Reznikov said that Ukraine's "partners were positively amazed by the dynamics of our troops’ activities: in the south under the command of Lieutenant General Andriy Kovalchuk and in the east under the command of Colonel General Oleksandr Syrskyi."

His remarks came as Ukrainian forces made rapid progress in retaking territory held by Russian forces since the spring in the eastern region of Kharkiv. 

Reznikov said that at all the meetings with Ukraine's allies, "there are certain key words that determine the focus of the discussion. At our first meeting in April, those words were 'timing' and 'transition.' "

"We have come a long way since then," he said. "More and more Russians are beginning to believe that things around them are going in the wrong way."

Thanks to allied assistance, Ukraine had received hundreds of artillery units, Reznikov said. "Ukrainian soldiers are bringing terror upon the enemy with accurate and indivertible strikes of M142 Himars, M270 MLRS and MARS II. HARM missiles are already leaving the enemy without radars."

"The increase in the scale of aid as well as the successful actions of the Ukrainian defense forces that have held back the Russian invasion for almost 200 days, have significantly affected the priorities," he said.

He said the key words were now “sustain,” “long-term,” and “training,” adding "Moscow still has a lot of resources. Victory will not come instantly. But it will definitely come."

Reznikov said that "the task of training Ukrainian soldiers has been raised to a qualitatively higher level." The training program initiated by the UK had already received thousands of Ukrainian soldiers. "30,000 soldiers will be trained within this program alone. They will return to Ukraine completely ready for battle," he said.

"The sooner the war ends with our victory, the quicker the social and economic difficulties provoked by the Kremlin will be overcome throughout Europe," he said.

12:50 p.m. ET, September 10, 2022

Ukrainian forces enter city of Izium as Russian forces are routed in large area of Kharkiv

From CNN's Victoria Butenko, Darya Tarasova, Vasco Cotovio and Tim Lister

Ukrainian forces patrol after Ukrainian army took control some of the villages in Kharkiv, Ukraine on September 9.
Ukrainian forces patrol after Ukrainian army took control some of the villages in Kharkiv, Ukraine on September 9. (Metin Aktas/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

A Ukrainian officer involved in the operation to liberate the city of Izium in eastern Ukraine has told CNN: “We have just started clearing the town. First military units are in.”

A short while earlier, the Russian-backed head of the Izium city administration, Vladislav Sokolov, was quoted by the Russian state news agency RIA as saying: "The situation in Izyum is difficult, as a result of constant shelling by Ukrainian troops over the past two weeks, there has been a lot of destruction in the city."

It's not known exactly when Sokolov spoke to RIA. 

The evidence so far is that Ukrainian troops have met little resistance as they enter the city.

Sokolov said the evacuation of residents to Russian territory continues amid a rapid Ukrainian offensive through much of the Kharkiv region.

Sokolov was quoted by the Russian state news agency TASS as saying: "We have begun the evacuation, albeit at a slow pace, but as far as possible, we are taking them to the territory of the Russian Federation."

"Here they are received in the migration center, they are provided with psychological and humanitarian assistance. I think that we will continue to save people and transport them there," Sokolov said. 

For context: Researchers at Yale University ​say they have uncovered 21 “​filtration” sites in the Russian-controlled territory of Donetsk ​in eastern Ukraine. The ​researchers say these ​sites are used by Russian forces ​and their allies to process, register, interrogate and detain Ukrainians trying to ​leave Russian-occupied territory. ​Those detained can include civilians and prisoners of war.

Sokolov repeated that Izium "is in a very serious condition, a very large amount of destruction, the situation is very difficult."

It's unclear where Sokolov was speaking from. 

There are reports of long lines of vehicles at one border crossing that remains under Russian control in the north of Kharkiv region.