Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on Wednesday ordered his troops to withdraw from the occupied Ukrainian city of Kherson and take up defensive lines on the opposite bank of the River Dnipro.
The announcement marked one of Russia’s most significant retreats and a potential turning point in the war, now nearing the end of its ninth month.
In televised comments, General Sergei Surovikin, in overall command of the war, reported to Shoigu that it was no longer possible to keep Kherson city supplied.
“Having comprehensively assessed the current situation, it is proposed to take up defence along the eastern bank of the Dnipro River,” said Surovikin.
“I understand that this is a very difficult decision, but at the same time we will preserve the most important thing – the lives of our servicemen and, in general, the combat effectiveness of the group of troops, which it is futile to keep on the right bank in a limited area.”
The news followed weeks of Ukrainian advances towards the city and a race by Russia to relocate more than 100,000 of its residents by ferrying them to the opposite side of the river.
Kherson is the main city of the region of the same name – one of four Ukrainian regions which President Vladimir Putin proclaimed in September he was incorporating into Russia “forever”, and which the Kremlin said had now been placed under Moscow’s nuclear umbrella.
Author’s Comment:
As Russian top commander of Ukrainian War, Gen. Surovikin stated, it is very difficult to defend a small land area on the other side of a natural obstacle (river in this case) without continuous logistic support. In the summer, the Ukrainian Army had started bombarding the bridges on the river connecting Kherson (west side) to Russian-controlled areas (east side) to cut Russian logistic lanes of communication. Logistically not enough supported Russian troops in Kherson lost too many personnel to keep the city in hand since then; but they couldn’t resist any longer.
