Kherson likely to be liberated by end of November, says Ukraine's spy chief
Kyrylo Budanov (Photo:REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko)
The operation to liberate Kherson is likely to last until the end of November, Ukrainian military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said in an interview with U.S-based news outlet The War Zone, published on Oct. 28.
The spy chief said that the best trained and most combat-ready Russian units are now in the occupied city. Most of them are Russian airborne troops, Russian special operations forces, and marines.
"These units form the backbone of the grouping, and they are also reinforced by mobilized personnel,” he added.
“The combat component — units that can pose a danger to (Ukraine) during the operation — amounts to about 40,000.”
Budanov explained that Kherson is in the middle of this grouping. The troops are also scattered in the areas of the western bank of the Dnipro river; there are also those that support their actions, but are deployed on the eastern bank.
When asked why the Ukrainian military does not surround the city and isolate the occupying troops, Budanov replied that that is exactly what the Ukrainians are trying to do.
"But they [Russians] are resisting from the outside,” Budanov explained.
“They are trying to prevent our advance, and you must understand that the fighting is going on every day.”
Earlier, Budanov suggested that Ukraine will regain control over Kherson city by the end of 2022. He believes that by the summer 2023, the war unleashed by Russia will end, and Ukraine will see significant victories by the end of the year.
Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov stated that rainy weather has slowed down the offensive of the Armed Forces in Kherson Oblast. He also noted that the Ukrainian army controls all bridges leading into the oblast, so Russian troops will not be able to retreat.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that rumors about the Russian military abandoning Kherson was an “information attack.” The Ukrainian military’s Operational Command South reported that as of Oct. 24, the Armed Forces have liberated over 90 settlements in Kherson Oblast.
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