Russia's defence ministry says it has withdrawn Russian troops from the strategic town of Lyman in eastern Ukraine.
"Because of the threat of encirclement the allied troops have been withdrawn from Krasnyi Lyman to better positions," it says, quoted by Russian state news agencies.
Krasnyi (Red) Lyman was the old Soviet name for Lyman, which Ukrainian forces say they have entered. Russia calls its troops "allied" with local Moscow-backed fighters, according to BBC.