The announcement on Wednesday followed weeks of a Ukrainian advance on the city and marked a potentially huge blow to Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine, which it invaded in late February. In televised comments, General Sergei Surovikin said it was no longer possible to maintain power to the city of Kherson. “Having thoroughly assessed the current situation, it is proposed that we undertake the defense along the left [eastern] bank of the Dnieper River,” said Surovikin, standing at a lectern and pointing to troop positions on a map, the details of which were grayed out for the television audience. General Sergei Surovikin, commander of Russian forces in Ukraine [Russian Defence Ministry/Handout via Reuters] “I understand that this is a very difficult decision, but at the same time, we will preserve the most important thing – the lives of our soldiers and, in general, the combat effectiveness of the troop group, which is futile to maintain on the right bank in a limited area.” Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu also echoed the comments and said: “I agree with your conclusions and suggestions. Proceed with the withdrawal of the troops and take all measures to transport the forces across the river.’ The announcement came hours after the Russian deputy head of Kherson, Kirill Stremousov, was reportedly killed in a car crash after weeks of urging residents to evacuate the area. Ukrainian soldiers sit in a military vehicle driving near the front line in the northern Kherson region [Hannibal Hanschke/EPA-EFE]
“Words and actions are different”
Commenting on Russia’s announcement, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said “actions speak louder than words.” “We see no signs of Russia leaving Kherson without a fight,” he said in a tweet. Actions speak louder than words. We see no signs of Russia giving up Kherson without a fight. A part of the ru-group is kept in the city and additional reserves are charged in the area. 🇺🇦 release territories based on intelligence evidence, not staged TV statements. — Mykhailo Podolyak (@Podolyak_M) November 9, 2022 Podolyak added that “a part” of Russian forces “remained in the city and additional reserves are charged to the area. “Ukraine is liberating territory based on intelligence evidence, not staged TV statements.” Kherson is one of four Ukrainian regions that Putin said in September he was incorporating into Russia “forever” after the referendum was condemned as illegal by Ukraine and its allies. But there has been growing speculation in recent weeks that Moscow could either withdraw its forces from the west bank of the Dnieper or start a bloody battle. Earlier on Wednesday, the main bridge on a road outside the city of Kherson was blown up. Photos posted online showed the span of the Darivka bridge on the main highway east of Kherson completely collapsed into the water of the Inhulets River, a tributary of the Dnieper. Ukrainians who posted photos of the damaged bridge speculated that it had been blown up by Russian troops in preparation for a retreat. Vitaly Kim, the Ukrainian governor of the Mykolaiv region, which borders Kherson, suggested that Ukrainian forces had pushed back some Russians. “Russian troops are protesting that they have already been thrown out of there,” Kim said in a statement on his Telegram channel. The withdrawal announcement was mourned by Russia’s powerful war bloggers, who described it as a bitter blow. “Obviously we’re going to leave the city, no matter how painful it is to write about it now,” said the War Gonzo blog, which has more than 1.3 million subscribers on Telegram. “Simply put, Kherson cannot be held with bare hands,” he said. “Yes, this is a black page in the history of the Russian army. Of the Russian state. Tragic page.”
