A member of the Ukrainian National Guard is seen at a position near a front line in Kharkov region (Reuters)

The head of Russia-controlled territories of the Kharkov Region, Vitaly Ganchev, said on Saturday that Ukrainian forces detained seven Sri Lankan students from Kupyansk Medical College, who could be used to create forgeries and stage provocations against Russia.

"We learned that seven Sri Lankan citizens who were students at Kupyansk Medical College were detained by the [Ukrainian forces]. They were taken to an unknown location. Considering the well-known methods of the Ukrainian special services, we do not rule out a provocation against the civil-military administration of the Kharkov region and the Russian Federation. The detained foreigners are quite likely to be used in the fabrication of fakes, testimonies similar to those of Bucha and Izyum," Ganchev posted on Telegram.

The official previously stated that authorities had begun evacuating residents from Kupyansk, Izyum, Shevchenkove, and Balakliya.

According to the Russian Defense Ministry, troops from Balakliya and Izyum have been regrouped in the Donetsk direction to achieve the stated goals of the special military operation to liberate Donbass.

On September 10, Russia announced that its forces were withdrawing from the Kharkov region that lies on the eastern front after the army had the region under its control for months.

The withdrawal from Kharkov to Donetsk, Moscow explained, was carried out over the course of a three-day operation conducted to minimize Russian losses. However, the leader of the Donetsk People's Republic, Denis Pushilin, said there was fierce fighting between the Russian and Ukrainian forces in the DPR.

Earlier in August, Central Donetsk has been undergoing some mine clearance works that have been threatening civilians, and since Ukraine has been equipped with NATO’s Tochka-U tactical missile systems and long-range rocket systems, the number of civilian casualties in the DPR has increased by more than two-fold.