Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced on Wednesday that Russia would withdraw its troops from the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson, the first and only regional capital captured by Russian forces since they invaded Ukraine in late February. The decision, Russian officials said, was made to save the lives of Russian soldiers in the face of a Ukrainian counteroffensive and difficulties keeping supply lines open to the strategic city. The city of Kherson, the capital of the province of the same name, is located on the west bank, or right bank, of the Dnieper River, while much of the province of Kherson lies on the east of the river. Russian forces gained control of the region in early March, with the city of Kherson being the only place where they had established a presence on the west bank of the river. Ukraine responded with skepticism to Russia’s announcement, with officials saying it could be a plan to lure Ukrainian forces into a death trap. “At the moment we do not know their intentions – will they fight with us and try to keep the city of Kherson? They are moving very slowly,” said Ukrainian presidential adviser Oleksiy Arestovych.
Russian control of the Kherson Peninsula
On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation” in Ukraine, with his troops invading from four fronts. On the southern front, Russian forces moved from the Crimean peninsula, which it annexed in 2014, towards Odessa in the west, Zaporizhia in the north and Mariupol in the east. Moscow has ordered its forces to withdraw from the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson. On Wednesday, Russian officials said it was no longer feasible to continue aid to the city. pic.twitter.com/QuVWSKaZPC — AJ Labs (@ajlabs) November 10, 2022 On March 2, Russia declared that the city of Kherson was under its control. By March 15, he declared that the entire area had been captured. Kherson is one of four Ukrainian regions that Russia held “referendums” and officially “annexed” on September 30, a move condemned as illegal by Ukraine and its allies.
Counterattack by Ukraine
Russia’s annexation moves came after military setbacks in the northeast, where Ukrainian forces managed to recapture large swaths of territory. At the same time, on the southern axis, Ukrainian forces also escalated their counterattack. By October, Ukrainian forces had recaptured more than 500 square kilometers (193 square miles) of territory and dozens of settlements in the Kherson region, according to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Ukrainian forces were able to breach Russian front lines, targeting Russian land lines of communication, ammunition depots, and military and transport assets. They also made major gains at key locations on the west bank of the Dnieper River, destroying two bridges and interfering with Russia’s efforts to maintain supplies via barges and ferries, according to the Institute for the Study of War.
The strategic relevance of Kherson
The Kherson region borders Crimea and creates a land bridge between Russia and the peninsula on the Black Sea. If Ukraine can regain control, Russia would lose this land bridge and bring Crimea within range of Ukrainian long-range artillery. The area is also important because it has access to fresh water that feeds the arid Crimea. Ukraine had cut off the supply of fresh water along a canal from the Dnieper River that had met 85% of the peninsula’s needs after the annexation of Crimea. After Russia occupied areas of Kherson and Zaporizhia, it tried to unblock the canal. Recapturing the city of Kherson, which had a population of around 280,000 before the war, would mean that Ukraine will be able to retake the largest urban center that fell to the Russians. Meanwhile, recapturing the entire region would allow it to gain control of some coasts along the Black Sea, allowing the export of food to foreign markets, which has been severely disrupted during the conflict.
