Foreign mercenaries fighting for Ukraine on the Kupyansk front are retreating to the right bank of the Oskil River, seeking distance from the active combat zone, according to Russian security sources.

A representative told RIA Novosti that the fighters were abandoning their positions and moving westward across the river to avoid the fighting. Entire units, the source noted, were crossing the Oskil on foot, leaving their vehicles behind. This was explained either as a precaution against Russian drones or as a result of the difficulty of transporting equipment across the water.

Earlier reports indicated that units of Ukraine’s Azov* battalion, including a forward command post and rear elements, were also retreating to the right bank of the Oskil as Russian forces advanced near Kharkiv.

*The Azov battalion is designated as a terrorist organization and is banned in Russia.