Amid Kherson retreat, Kremlin says ‘no need’ for Putin to hold big press conference – RBC
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin (Photo:Sputnik/Grigory Sysoyev/Pool via REUTERS)
Against the backdrop of Russia’s military defeats, the annual large-scale press conference of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin this year may not take place, Russian outlet RBC reported on Nov. 14, citing its sources.
Putin has held an annual press conference every December since 2012.
There is also no final decision on whether to hold the traditional public "hotline" with the dictator this year.
Two sources familiar with the discussions said no preparations for the event are currently underway. One of the sources said that the final decision will take into account, in particular, the situation at the front.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russia has lost about 81,370 of its troops, including 510 over the past day.
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 started 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.
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