Russian defense minister orders retreat from right-bank of Kherson Oblast
Russian troops retreat from Kherson (Photo:Alexander Ermochenko / REUTERS)
Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu ordered Russian forces to retreat across the Dnipro River after the commander of the Russian troops in Ukraine, Sergey Surovikin, advised him on Nov. 9 that Russian troops should “take up defenses” on the left bank.
“I understand this is a very difficult decision,” Surovikin told Shoigu.
“At the same time, we’ll save the lives of our servicemen and retain the combat effectiveness of our troops. It makes no sense to keep (them) on the right bank in a limited area.”
In a stilted and propaganda-laden report, Surovikin said that “Kherson and nearby settlements cannot fully provide for themselves,” and warned that Ukraine might resort to “the use of prohibited methods of warfare.”
He also said that the Russian army had deported more than 115,000 people from the right bank of Kherson Oblast.
At the same time, as evidenced by aerial reconnaissance images released on Nov. 9, the Russian invaders are fleeing Kherson Oblast, leaving homemade mannequins at abandoned positions to gain some time.
According to the Ukrainian media outlet GRUNT, such positions could be seen on the first defense line of Russian troops who are in a hurry to flee to the left bank of the Dnipro River.
Kherson regional council member Sergey Khlan said on Nov. 9 that the Russian military had blown up all the bridges on the right bank of Kherson Oblast. In addition, the Russian flag has reportedly disappeared from the local administration’s building in the still-occupied city of Kherson.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces are reportedly beginning the liberation of the town of Snihurivka in Mykolayiv Oblast, which, if successful, will pave the way to the liberation of the city of Kherson. In turn, Mykolayiv Regional Governor Vitaliy Kim called for an information blackout as the operation to liberate Kherson Oblast continues.
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