Budanov suggests Ukraine will regain control over Kherson in 2022
According to Kirill Budanov, the Russian invaders are not yet preparing to leave Kherson (Photo:Alexander Ermochenko/Reuters)
The Armed Forces of Ukraine may liberate Kherson by the end of this year, Ukraine’s military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov said in an interview with NV’s sister publication, Ukrainska Pravda, published on Oct. 24.
"I think so," he stated when asked this question.
At the same time, Budanov stressed that so far the occupying Russian forces are not preparing to leave the city, but are bolstering their defenses.
"It can’t be said that they are fleeing from Kherson city right now,” he noted.
“No, there is no such thing. In many aspects, this is an information operation and manipulation. There are some facts. For example, they are with-drawing Promsvyazbank, and other financial structures that Russians brought there.”
Budanov emphasized that the commander of the Russian troops in Ukraine, Sergey Surovikin, would be responsible for this loss, and is pre-paring withdrawal plans just in case. The intelligence chief noted that the Russian military understands that if the Ukrainian Armed Forces take control over the Kakhovka dam, the Russians will have to make a very quick decision.
"Either they have to leave the city very quickly and retreat, or they risk finding themselves in the same situation as our units in Mariupol," Budanov concluded.
“The situation is somewhat different, but conceptually it will be very similar. And understanding all this, they are preparing the ground to get out of there very quickly if necessary. However, they are not preparing to leave now, they are preparing for defense.”
The Ukrainian military is advancing in Kherson Oblast, liberating the Russian-occupied territories in southern Ukraine. As of Oct. 21, Ukrainian troops had liberated 88 settlements in the region, according to the President’s Office.
Recent satellite imagery shows Russian troops near Kherson urgently transferring their vehicles and personnel to the eastern bank of the DniproRiver.
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