After liberation of Kherson ‘threat of enemy ground assaults on Mykolaiv, Odesa reduced’
Ukrainian official warns Russians might seek ‘compensation’ by attacking cities with missiles (Photo:Suspilne Kherson)
The risk of Russian assaults on the southern Ukrainian cities of Odesa and Mykolaiv is much lower now that Kherson has been liberated, Odesa Oblast Military Administration spokesman Serhiy Bratchuk said in a video address in the morning of Nov. 12.
Bratchuk said there were 21 Russian ships and boats deployed in the Black Sea right now, including two cruise missile carriers with a total load of 16 missiles. He warned the enemy might seek “compensation” for its defeat in Kherson Oblast in the form of missile and drone attacks. He called on citizens to not ignore air raid alarms.
However, the night of Nov. 11-12 was quiet in Odesa Oblast.
Bratchuk said counter-sabotage work is going on in the region, and several people have been detained.
"The birds (that were caught) are big," he said, promising to reveal more details later.
"It isn’t worth it to work for the enemy,” he said. “I warn everyone who may consider it. Collaborators should be ready, punishments are waiting for them: court, prison... Also, it depends — heavenly punishment sometimes comes earlier than expected.”
Spokesperson once again called residents of Odesa and the region to save electricity, to avoid spreading rumors. and to trust only reliable sources.
A day earlier, on Nov. 11, the Ukrainian army entered the key southern city of Kherson, which had been occupied since the first days of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which stared on Feb. 24. Ukrainian flags are now flying in the city and near the city administration building.
Days before, the Russian flag was removed from the city administration building in Kherson, sparking speculation that Russia was about to retreat from the city.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy officially announced the liberation of Kherson in the evening of Nov. 11. He warned that not all of the invaders had fled the city, and said that the Ukrainian army continues its work to remove them.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense has said the clearing of the city of Russian troops and saboteurs could last several weeks.
As of Nov. 12, the Ukrainian army had liberated from Russian occupation about 3,000 square kilometers (1,160 square miles) in the south of the country. The General Staff reported that its troops have reached the Dnipro River in several places in Kherson Oblast.
Early, Russian Defense Minister Shoigu and General Sergey Surovikin announced that their troops were to “regroup” on the other side of the Dnipro, and the order to retreat to the eastern bank of the river was issued on Nov. 9.
In the morning of Nov. 11, the Russian Defense Ministry reported the full withdrawal from the western bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson Oblast. They said about 30,000 troops and 5,000 pieces of military equipment had been evacuated from the part of Kherson Oblast liberated by Ukraine.
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