A video shared on Facebook claims the Russians withdrew from Bakhmut and other southern regions during their offensive in Ukraine.

Facebook/Screenshot

Verdict: False

The Russians have not withdrawn from Bakhmut. They have not withdrawn from any of the southern regions beyond the right bank of the Dnipro River in November.

Fact Check:

Ukrainian authorities claimed Dec. 28 that Ukrainian forces were closing in on the city of Kreminna, located in the Luhansk Oblast, according to The Wall Street Journal. Capturing the city would allow Ukraine to advance further into the Luhansk Oblast, the outlet reported.

The Facebook video, viewed more than 100,000 times, claims the Russians withdrew from Bakhmut. The video’s caption reads, “Shocking change on map of Ukraine! Russian army withdraw from Bakhmut including other south regions!”

This claim, however, is false. If the Russian military had withdrawn from Bakhmut, media outlets would have covered it, yet none have. Furthermore, media outlets have reported the opposite. For example, The Telegraph reported Dec. 27 that the Russians were continuing attacks on Bakhmut and surrounding settlements, although the assault has “largely failed” thus far. (RELATED: Does This Video Show Volodymyr Zelenskyy Dancing With A Rocket Launcher?)

Wartranslated, a Twitter account that translates Ukrainian-Russian language videos, shared an update from Ukrainian forces in Bakhmut. The troops giving the update do not state that the Russians withdrew from the area.

Update from Bakhmut 28 December pic.twitter.com/vNWwOv1vok

— Dmitri (@wartranslated) December 28, 2022

The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) also did not report any Russian withdrawal from Bakhmut or the southern regions in its Dec. 27 campaign assessment. The ISW wrote, “Russian forces may be nearing culmination in the Bakhmut area amid continuing Russian offensive operations there and in the Avdiivka-Donetsk City area.”