Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu orders to start the withdrawal of troops from the western bank of the Dnieper River.
Shoigu’s order was cited by the state TASS and was the first of its kind to be broadcast on Russian official channels.
“Proceed with the withdrawal of the troops and take all measures to ensure the safe transfer of personnel, weapons and equipment across the Dnieper River. “
This was assigned by the Defense Minister to the commander-in-chief of the Russian troops in Ukraine Sergey Surovikinwho had previously reported to the Minister of Defense on the situation in the area.
The news comes after weeks of Ukrainian advances on the city and Russia’s evacuation of the remaining civilian population.
“We will save the lives of our soldiers and the combat capability of our units. Keeping them on the right (western) bank is useless. Some of them can be used on other fronts,” Surovikin said.
Russian troops will soon be withdrawn from the right bank of the Dnieper in the Kherson region and it will occupy “defensive lines and positions prepared in engineering terms“on the left bank, said Surovikin.
He emphasizes it the Russian army successfully resisted all offensive attempts Ukrainian forces, which from August to October lost more than 9.5 thousand people killed and wounded in the Kherson region, more than 200 tanks and more than 500 armored combat vehicles. The losses of the Russian troops are “seven eight times lower than those of the enemy”, said the general.
Surovikin with spores, despite successfully repelling Ukrainian bombingsduring which 80-90% of the missiles were shot down, military engineers have to rebuild the crossings almost daily. “Under these conditions, the city of Kherson and the surrounding settlements cannot be fully supplied and functioning,” she said.
Among the reasons for the decision to defend himself on the left bank of the Dnieper, he also signaled the threat to destroy the Kakhov hydroelectric plant, subject to continuous missile attacks, which can contribute to the flooding of the downstream territories. This will not only result in “significant casualties among the civilian population”, but also the threat of complete isolation of the troop grouping on the right bank.
According to him, they came from the right bank evacuated “all who want” – more than 115 thousand people (on Wednesday afternoon the authorities of the region spoke of 80 thousand parties). An organized evacuation was announced on October 18 and ended on November 7.
“In general, the situation has stabilized,” Surovikin said. According to him, all attacks by the Ukrainian armed forces in the directions of Kupyansk and Krasnolimansk were repelled. In some areas, Russian troops have resumed the offensive. In particular, in the Donbass, Ukrainian forces have been defeated south of Bakhmut, on the eastern outskirts of which street fighting is taking place.
Further south, according to him, the “liberation of Pavlovka” ends, which, as the interim head of DNR Denis explains Pushilinnecessary for the taking of the city of Vagledar.
Through According to Surovikin, Ukrainian losses exceeded 12,000 people in October, over 1,000 tanks and armored combat vehicles, 30 planes and helicopters. However Ukrainian troops are not giving up on their attempts to advance.
Partial mobilizationin which 318,000 people, including volunteers, were recalled to Russia, “allowed to increase combat and numerical composition of compounds and military units “and to create”additional reserves, “Surovikin said.
Shoigu instructed the group commander to send “only soldiers with skills in their military specialties to the front line.”“, and before that to conduct training with military with combat experience in backward areas.” In units composed of mobilized soldiers, officers are assigned who are able to assemble military collectives and organize the execution of tasks in any situation “, the ordained minister.
Secretary of the General Council of “United Russia” Andrey Turchakcommented that the withdrawal in Kherson was caused the Russian army near Kherson risks being cut off from suppliesunder such conditions it will be extremely difficult to maintain protection.
Turchak said Wednesday ““United Russia” handed over to the airborne forces unit near Kherson the special equipment and equipment collected by the group: several hundred quadcopters and drones, mine detectors, thermal imaging cameras, communications equipment and multimedia reconnaissance equipment.
The Kiev government has warned against overestimating the message coming from Moscow.
It’s too early to talk about withdrawal, he said presidential adviser Mihailo Podoliak before the Reuters agency. As long as the Ukrainian flag does not fly over Kherson, there can be no talk of a Russian withdrawal.
According to him, some Russian troops remain in the city, and more forces are sent to the region. The Ukrainian military adheres to the principle of focusing on intelligence, risk assessment and effective counterattacks, Podoliak said.
The Russian occupation authorities are probably starting a new phase of evacuation from the Kherson region just a day ago, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in its daily briefing, following the end of civilian evacuations announced on November 7 half October. During this period, Ukrainian officials repeatedly announced that Russian forces were forcing the civilian population out of their homes and warned him soldiers in civilian clothes are housed in private homes.
It was November 4th in Kherson The 24 hour curfew imposed, and the same day Russian President Vladimir Putin called personally civilians to leave the city.
For a week, several sources have already talked about it heavy fighting in the Kherson region and near the regional municipalitybut Ukrainian forces remain silent, the same tactic they adopted at the start of their counter-offensive in southern Ukraine in September.
Kherson is a crucial strategic point for the Ukrainian forces, as it is the only regional capital controlled by the Russians. Furthermore, the Kherson region is a gateway The Crimean peninsula, which Russia seized in 2014. Now the Ukrainian forces are trying to surround this city on the west bank of the Dnieper River – trapping Russian forces there – as they target the infrastructure their enemies rely on, such as the disused Antonovsky bridge.
The same counter-offensive of Ukraine started with propaganda – for more than a month it was rumored that the Kherson region would be the first target of the Ukrainian forces, but first it went through a rapid and surprise offensive in the Kharkiv region.
Despite the Ukrainian counter-offensive in late September, the Russian occupation authorities held controlled referendums and a few days later Vladimir Putin announced the annexation of the four regions, including Kherson.
