Russia has ordered a retreat from the central southern city of Kherson, the only regional capital it has captured since the February invasion, in a dramatic strategic setback for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ahead of a Ukrainian advance in the region, Russian troops in the Kherson region will withdraw from the west bank of the Dnipro River, an area that includes the city of Kherson, Russian state media reported on Wednesday.
The order came at a meeting in Moscow between Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and the commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, General Sergei Surovykin, as Ukrainian forces approach the city from two directions.
The Russian withdrawal would represent the most significant military moment in the war since Ukrainian forces swept through the northern region of Kharkiv in September.
However, Ukrainian officials remained skeptical that Russian forces had completely left the west bank.
“Actions speak louder than words. We see no signs of Russia giving up Kherson without a fight,” tweeted Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the Office of the President.
Ukraine “is liberating territories based on intelligence evidence, not staged TV statements,” Podolyak added.
Defending the occupied territory on the west bank of the Kherson had become increasingly difficult for the Russians as Ukrainian forces disabled bridges on the Dnipro and attacked Russian supply lines.
Kherson was one of four Ukrainian regions illegally annexed by Russia in September. Once the withdrawal is complete, several thousand square kilometers of this annexed territory will have been surrendered.
The withdrawal “demonstrates the courage, determination, commitment of the Ukrainian armed forces and also the importance of continued support” from the West, NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on Wednesday.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, Surovikin said that “Kerson [city] and the adjacent settlements with the present conditions cannot be fully supplied and functioned.’
Surovikin claimed that Ukrainian forces are “attacking schools, hospitals and civilians in Kherson, who are being evacuated to the other side of the Dnipro River.”
Surovikin, who had warned that difficult choices would be required when appointing a general commander of the operation, said: “The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation successfully resisted the attempts of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to attack in the direction of Kherson. ”
He claimed that “from August to October, the Armed Forces of Ukraine lost more than 9,500 people in Kherson,” a figure he said was seven to eight times higher than Russian losses. It is impossible to verify Surovikin’s claim.
Meanwhile, Russian reporters in northern Kherson described withdrawals from some areas.
A prominent Russian Telegram channel, with more than a million subscribers, said “there was a withdrawal to support positions,” near the West Bank town of Snihurivka, which is in neighboring Mykolaiv Oblast.
“A bridge was also blown up by our forces in this area today,” the RVVoenkor channel reported.
He added: “Ukrainian sources published a photo of their flag being raised at Snihurivka railway station. The settlement is under their control.”
CNN geolocated the photo of the flag on a tower in Snihurivka.
The channel also said that the Ukrainians had entered a nearby village (Kalynivske) and that “the front line is steadily moving towards Kherson.”
Another Russian military reporter, Alexander Koch, told Telegram that after “receiving many urgent recommendations to cross to the east bank” from the city of Kherson, he decided to take two Russian flags on the departing ferry “so that those who mock our state symbols he wouldn’t take them.”
Kotch added: “One was taken off the flagpole at City Hall… I’ll keep the state flag until we come back. So I can close it again.”
title: “Kherson Russia Will Withdraw Its Forces In The Ukraine War "
ShowToc: true
date: “2022-11-24”
author: “Jodi Fegueroa”
Russia has ordered a retreat from the central southern city of Kherson, the only regional capital it has captured since the February invasion, in a dramatic strategic setback for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Ahead of a Ukrainian advance in the region, Russian troops in the Kherson region will withdraw from the west bank of the Dnipro River, an area that includes the city of Kherson, Russian state media reported on Wednesday.
The order came at a meeting in Moscow between Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and the commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, General Sergei Surovykin, as Ukrainian forces approach the city from two directions.
The Russian withdrawal would represent the most significant military moment in the war since Ukrainian forces swept through the northern region of Kharkiv in September.
However, Ukrainian officials remained skeptical that Russian forces had completely left the west bank.
“Actions speak louder than words. We see no signs of Russia giving up Kherson without a fight,” tweeted Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to the Office of the President.
Ukraine “is liberating territories based on intelligence evidence, not staged TV statements,” Podolyak added.
Defending the occupied territory on the west bank of the Kherson had become increasingly difficult for the Russians as Ukrainian forces disabled bridges on the Dnipro and attacked Russian supply lines.
Kherson was one of four Ukrainian regions illegally annexed by Russia in September. Once the withdrawal is complete, several thousand square kilometers of this annexed territory will have been surrendered.
The withdrawal “demonstrates the courage, determination, commitment of the Ukrainian armed forces and also the importance of continued support” from the West, NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour on Wednesday.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, Surovikin said that “Kerson [city] and the adjacent settlements with the present conditions cannot be fully supplied and functioned.’
Surovikin claimed that Ukrainian forces are “attacking schools, hospitals and civilians in Kherson, who are being evacuated to the other side of the Dnipro River.”
Surovikin, who had warned that difficult choices would be required when appointing a general commander of the operation, said: “The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation successfully resisted the attempts of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to attack in the direction of Kherson. ”
He claimed that “from August to October, the Armed Forces of Ukraine lost more than 9,500 people in Kherson,” a figure he said was seven to eight times higher than Russian losses. It is impossible to verify Surovikin’s claim.
Meanwhile, Russian reporters in northern Kherson described withdrawals from some areas.
A prominent Russian Telegram channel, with more than a million subscribers, said “there was a withdrawal to support positions,” near the West Bank town of Snihurivka, which is in neighboring Mykolaiv Oblast.
“A bridge was also blown up by our forces in this area today,” the RVVoenkor channel reported.
He added: “Ukrainian sources published a photo of their flag being raised at Snihurivka railway station. The settlement is under their control.”
CNN geolocated the photo of the flag on a tower in Snihurivka.
The channel also said that the Ukrainians had entered a nearby village (Kalynivske) and that “the front line is steadily moving towards Kherson.”
Another Russian military reporter, Alexander Koch, told Telegram that after “receiving many urgent recommendations to cross to the east bank” from the city of Kherson, he decided to take two Russian flags on the departing ferry “so that those who mock our state symbols he wouldn’t take them.”
Kotch added: “One was taken off the flagpole at City Hall… I’ll keep the state flag until we come back. So I can close it again.”
