A military spokesman said that in just 24 hours, Ukrainian forces had pushed forward the front line in the key southern region of Kherson by 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) and brought under their control more than 260 square kilometers of land (100 square miles). Kyiv said it had taken control of the towns of Snihurivka and Kyselivka, both of which lie along main roads leading to the city of Kherson, the regional capital. Kyselivka is about 15 kilometers (9 mi) away from the city of Kherson. Moscow announced on Wednesday that its troops would withdraw from the west bank of the Dnipro River, an area that includes the city of Kherson, in one of the biggest military setbacks for Russia since the start of its invasion. A Russian Defense Ministry spokesman said the effort began the next day. Officials in Kyiv, however, met the announcement with skepticism. Kherson is one of four Ukrainian regions Russia has tried to annex in violation of international law, and some doubt Moscow would give up the fight for a territory filled with people Russian President Vladimir Putin has promised will be Russian citizens “forever ». Ukrainian officials also worry that the Russian military will embrace scorched-earth tactics and leave a trail of destruction behind them after they withdraw. Mykhailo Podolyak, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, claimed Thursday that Russia “wants to turn Kherson into a ‘city of death.’ Ukrainian military spokesman Vladyslav Nazarov said Russian forces continued to shell areas recaptured by the Ukrainian military and tried to hit humanitarian aid distribution points. However, signs of retreat are beginning to appear. General Mark Milley, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Washington had seen the “beginnings” of a Russian withdrawal in Kherson. Satellite images taken last week of Russian-held Crimea showed trenches being dug near the border with Kherson, a possible sign that Russian military leaders are nervous about the progress of Ukraine’s counteroffensive.
