Ukraine rules out freezing the conflict after liberation of Kherson
Oleksiy Danilov (Photo:press service of the President of Ukraine)
Kyiv will not pause or halt its ongoing counteroffensives across the country following the liberation of Kherson, National Security and Defense Council Secretary, Oleksiy Danilov, told Ukrainian TV broadcasters on Nov. 11.
“We can’t ‘freeze’ anything; we’re not a freezer,” Danilov said in response to speculation that the war could become less intense during the coming winter.
“We have to liberate our territory, regardless of season and weather conditions. There won’t be any pause; there are our people there (under Russian occupation), we see how they suffer.”
Danilov added that the last 7-8 Headquarters of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief meetings were focused on the operation to push Russian forces out of Kherson.
He urged Kherson Oblast residents to remain cautious, as retreating Russian troops have heavily mined the area and left IEDs in their wake.
“We can confirm that large swathes of land were mined; furthermore, we can’t rule out explosive devices having been set up, so people need to be very careful,” the secretary said.
By Nov. 11, Ukraine was in almost complete control of Kherson, while Russia’s Defense Ministry reported its troops in the region have been withdrawn to the eastern bank of the Dnipro River.
Meanwhile, local residents posted photos of stranded Russian soldiers who change into civilian clothes in an attempt to blend in with the crowds and avoid getting captured by Ukrainian forces.
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