Kharkiv Axis - The Battle for Kharkiv City is effectively over. #Ukraine has defeated #Russian forces and driven them far enough away from the city that there is no longer an imminent threat to the city or its occupants. The battle lasted from February 24 - May 11. 
From February 24 - May 11 the city was under the constant threat of cannon artillery shelling and assaults from #Russian troops on the outskirts of the city. Several RUAF assaults breached the perimeter of the city, but each time they were expelled. themoscowtimes.com/2022/03/02/rus…
#Russia then took positions 5-10km away and began to pound the #Ukrainian forces inside with cannon/rocket artillery. For weeks the residents of #Kharkiv were told to remain inside bomb shelters at all times, with many residents moving into the subway. washingtonpost.com/world/2022/03/…
However, eventually those troops around #Kharkiv were pulled away from this axis for other higher priority fronts. Eventually, #Ukraine mounted a slow creeping counteroffensive to assault occupied towns or capture those villages abandoned by #RUAF. pbs.org/newshour/show/…
In some places, #Russian rearguard put up stiff resistance to protect supply lines and the withdrawal of other units. As more units retrograded, these rearguard units, mostly made up of Russian proxies, have also started to move N and out of #Ukraine.
https://twitter.com/markito0171/status/1525032212164497408?s=20&t=AOxJD4lmo-BYm_1t7Vq9SQ
As #RUAF continues to move N they have slowly shifted targeting away from #Kharkiv city and instead are now focused on attacking the pursuing #Ukrainians. On May 11, 2022, there were no attacks on Kharkiv, marking the end of the battle for the city. npr.org/2022/05/13/109…
This does not mean that the Battle for #Kharkiv Oblast is over. #Russian forces are likely to hold/defend areas to the E of the Donets River to protect supply lines to #Izyum & other defensible areas, but they won't be in a position to threaten the city. france24.com/en/live-news/2…
It also does not preclude a Second Battle of #Kharkiv either, as #Russia appears to be settling in for a long and drawn out conflict. However, if there is a new battle for the city it will be the second one, with the victor of the first being #Ukraine. nytimes.com/2022/05/10/bri…
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