Russia Orders Its Troops To Withdraw From The Key Ukrainian City Of Kherson

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Russia has ordered its troops to withdraw from the key occupied city of Kherson, Vladimir Putin’s top military officials said, potentially marking a major setback for Moscow in its nine-month war against Ukraine. Sergei Shoigu, the Kremlin’s defense minister, told troops on Wednesday to withdraw from the west bank of the Dnipro river in the face of continued Ukrainian attacks. The announcement could mark one of Russia’s most significant concessions and a potential turning point in the war. Kherson, a port city in southern Ukraine, is the only regional center Moscow’s forces have captured and held since President Putin launched the invasion in February. The Kremlin annexed it in September. In televised comments, Sergei Surovikin, the general in the general war command, said it was no longer possible to supply the city. He said he proposed taking defensive lines on the east bank of the river, admitting it was “not a very simple decision”. General Surovikin, who was recently appointed by Mr Putin to try to rein in Russia’s troubled military campaign, said 115,000 people had been evacuated from the city since Moscow began evacuating civilians in anticipation of a Ukrainian attack. “There will be an additional threat to the civilian population and the complete isolation of our troop group on the right bank of the Dnieper [the Russian name for the river]”, he said about the situation in the southern region. “Assessing the situation, defense along the left bank of the Dnieper River is proposed.” Mr. Shoigu replied: “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.’ Ukrainian servicemen fire with a self-propelled gun at a position on a front line in the Kherson region (Reuters) Ukraine has been cautious in its response to the news, with officials warning all involved to “observe operational silence”. Ukraine’s defense ministry declined to immediately comment when approached by The Independent. Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said the Ukrainian military had destroyed Russian logistics corridors and supply routes, leaving Moscow with “no choice”. However, he warned that it is still “too early to talk about the complete withdrawal of the Russian army from Kherson.” The four Ukrainian regions, in yellow, annexed by Russia in September 2022 (Independent) “Time will tell if the city will go down without a fight or if the Russian administration is trying to set up an intelligence trap,” he said. “The Ukrainian administration makes decisions based on the assessment of the real situation and not on television statements,” he added. He had earlier said on Twitter that a significant portion of Russian forces remained inside the city of Kherson and that additional forces were present in the area. If the withdrawal is confirmed, it will deal a significant blow to Russia. Kherson is a strategic industrial city that was once home to 280,000 people. Time will tell if the city will go down without a fight or if the Russian administration is trying to create an intelligence trap Mykhailo Podolyak, senior adviser to President Zelensky In recent weeks, Ukrainian forces had zeroed in on the town, which sits on the river that separates the region from the country itself. With the approval of President Putin, Russia has fought to relocate tens of thousands of residents in the area amid reports of a Ukrainian advance on the city. In his televised address, General Surovikin said the move would “save the lives of our soldiers and the combat capability of our units.” “Keeping them on the right [western] the bank is in vain. Some of them can be used on other fronts,” he added. In Kherson region, north of the regional capital, despite the news of a withdrawal, Russian forces continued to pound Ukrainian-controlled villages along the Dnipro River on Wednesday. There, civilians described life under fire as “armageddon”. “We had seven incoming mortars and grad rockets this morning alone,” Novooleksandrivka resident Serhiy, 47, told the Independent. The village is located along the front line, just five kilometers from the Russian positions. Shelling destroyed the school and kindergarten in the village of Novooleksandrivka in the Kherson region (Bel Tru) “It’s like Armageddon here. they are shelling every day, mortars, artillery, drones, everything,” he added, scrambling for cover as an oncoming attack erupted in the background. Further north, the mayor of the decimated town of Osokorivka – also along the Dnipro River and also under fire – said its residents were struggling to survive without electricity as winter arrived. Serhii Ivanovich, 57, was imprisoned and tortured by Russian troops when his town was overrun in March. “We have been promised that the electricity will come back on. Right now civilians are using water pumps,” he said, surrounded by the charred remains of the ruined buildings. “They are also shelling cities a lot south of us,” he said, adding that he did not believe the attacks would decrease if Russia withdrew from the city of Kherson. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, during a visit to London, welcomed the “encouraging” news from Kherson and noted the alliance’s substantial military assistance to Kyiv. “The victories, the gains made by the Ukrainian armed forces belong to the brave, courageous Ukrainian soldiers. but of course the support they get from the UK, from NATO allies and partners, is also essential,” Mr Stoltenberg said. Complicating news about Russia’s position in Kherson, Russia announced that Moscow’s No. 2 official in the region, Kirill Stremusov, was killed Wednesday in a car crash, Moscow said. The death of Stremusov, deputy head of the local administration installed by Russia in Kherson, came hours before the announcement that Russian troops would withdraw. Stremusov was one of the most important figures of the Russian occupation. Ukraine saw him as a collaborator and traitor. In a video statement hours before his death, Stremusov denounced Ukrainians as “Nazis” and said the Russian military had “total control” of the situation in the south. The mayor of Osokorivka stands outside the destroyed ruins of his offices (Bel Tru) Russia is believed to have been planning a retreat across the Dnipro River for the past week or so as the battle for Kherson looked like it would be too disastrous. Earlier on Wednesday, the main bridge on a road outside the city of Kherson was blown up.