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News from the NOS•
Just over 24 hours after Russia announced its withdrawal from Kherson, Ukrainian military forces are approaching the crucial city in the south of the country. How long it will take Ukraine to regain control of the city depends on how much the Russian military can slow it down.
Because that’s what the Russian military is now mainly focusing on, says defense expert Han Bouwmeester. Today Ukrainian troops hit several anti-personnel mines and checkpoints on the road to Kherson. “These are typical indications that the Russians do not want to enter the struggle, but that the Ukrainians want to resist as much as possible.”
Ukrainian troops near Kherson have advanced at least 7 kilometers since yesterday afternoon and have recaptured 12 villages, Ukrainian army commander Valeri Zaluzhny reported today. According to the latest reports, the military has almost reached the town of Chernobayivka, on the outskirts of Kherson and near the city’s international airport.
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Delay is therefore the key word for the Russians. There are still 20,000 to 30,000 Russian soldiers in Kherson and they cannot leave the city all at the same time. That’s why it takes time.
Recently, Ukrainian forces bombed bridges over the Dnieper River to slow down Russia’s supply lines. This also affects the withdrawal, as those thousands of troops have to cross the river to leave the city.
There is still no official confirmation that the Russians are withdrawing, a Ukrainian military commander-in-chief told the Russian Federation today. BBC, but according to the Russians, this will happen. Russian Lieutenant General Konashenkov this morning confirmed the withdrawal of Russian troops from the western bank of the Dnieper River.
The Russians are also expected to take defensive positions within the city to cause further delays. “They won’t let Ukrainians in. There will be many Russians hiding in the city.”
But Ukrainian troops prefer not to fight, Bouwmeester continues. “Ukraine does not want to get into a fierce struggle. Where the Russians really wanted to demolish entire cities, Ukraine naturally wants to protect their cities.”
What you have seen in previous cities is that civilians were left in a so-called city stay behind, which relayed information to the Ukrainian army. This will also be the case in Kherson, says Bouwmeester. “That stay behind it can provide information to the ground forces so that they know where the Russians are and do not become victims. Maybe they will also deploy drones. “
Today’s footage shows Ukrainian soldiers celebrating as they reach the villages closest to Kherson:
Ukrainian soldiers headed for Kherson: “The first line of defense is ours”
If the city of Kherson falls back into the hands of the Ukrainians, it will be crucial in the war. It was the only regional capital that Russia captured during the invasion of Ukraine. However, the Ukrainian government is still not in a good mood. Ukrainian authorities have previously warned that a Russian withdrawal could be organized to trap the Ukrainian army.
Bouwmeester has doubts about this, because according to him it was obvious that Russia had almost no equipment left in Kherson. “If Russia did not withdraw the troops, there would be many casualties without any benefit. Now Russia is using these troops in a different place, probably in the Donbas region.”
