© Sputnik / Ivan Rodionov
Russian soldiers are seen at a Dnieper River crossing in the city of Kherson on November 2, 2022.
Russia has decided to withdraw its troops from the right bank of the Dnieper River, including the regional capital of Kherson. The Defense Ministry explained that it wants to avoid unnecessary losses among its forces and spare the lives of civilians.
While saying the decision was not easy, the commanders see little sense in keeping the troops on the right bank, the chief of the Russian military operation in Ukraine, Army General Sergey Surovikin, told Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu on Wednesday. The general pointed to continued Ukrainian attacks on the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric dam on the Dnieper River, arguing that it could mean the total isolation of Russian troops in Kherson.
"If the Kiev regime ... launches an even more devastating attack on the Kakhovskaya dam, a flow of water could arise that would flood large areas, causing significant civilian casualties," Surovikin added. This, according to the commander, "would create further threats for civilians and risk total isolation of our force grouping on the right bank of the Dnieper."
A pullout would help avoid the worst-case scenario and also keep the combat effectiveness of the force grouping in the area, Surovikin said.
This is a very difficult decision. Yet, we would be able to preserve the most important thing: the lives of our soldiers.
"Start the pullback of forces," Shoigu told Surovikin in a video released by media outlets. The minister ordered the general to organize secure relocation for both soldiers and civilians.
Over the past weeks, the local authorities have launched an effort to bring as many civilians as possible to the left bank of the Dnieper, citing a threat posed by Ukrainian forces located on the opposite side. Over 115,000 people had left the city as of today, according to Surovikin.
Russia incorporated Kherson Region last month, after residents voted in a referendum to break away from Ukraine and seek accession to Russia. Kiev rejected the vote as a "sham" and pledged to use military force to recapture all territories it considers to be under its sovereignty.
Ukraine has been waging a counter-offensive over the past two months, forcing Russian troops to fall back in some places. Earlier this week, Ukrainian troops launched several attacks, making an attempt in the east of Kharkov Region, in the northwestern part of the Lugansk People's Republic, and in Kherson Region. All of the assaults were successfully repelled, the Russian military said.
According to Surovikin, Kiev's troops suffered heavy losses, amounting to over 12,000 soldiers in October. Russian casualties were seven to eight times lower, he said. The general claimed that Russia's troops managed to "stabilize" the situation on the frontlines, including with the help of those mobilized since late September.
Comment: The Kremlin
elaborated on its decision to leave KIherson:
Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has ordered Russian forces to pull back from the city of Kherson and establish a new defense line along the Dnieper River. The minister made the decision on Wednesday following a report by Army General Sergey Surovikin, the commander of the country's military operation in Ukraine.
One of the stated goals is to assume better positions and save the lives of soldiers and civilians. Here are the key points of Surovikin's televised speech to the top military brass on the latest developments in the conflict:
1. Kiev's forces are targeting civilians
Ukrainian troops have been launching "indiscriminate strikes" against the city of Kherson, hitting schools and hospitals in particular, Surovikin said during his remarks on Wednesday. "People's lives are in constant danger due to shelling," he emphasized. Humanitarian aid centers and routes used by civilians for relocation across the Dnieper River are being struck as well, the general added.
2. Reasons for the pullout
Continued Ukrainian missile strikes on the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam located near Kherson also pose a serious risk to both the military and civilians on the right bank of the Dnieper, according to Surovikin. The dam has already been damaged in Ukrainian attacks, and another "devastating" blow could lead to "large areas" being flooded.
It would also lead to massive civilian casualties and leave the Russian troops in the area cut off from the rest of the forces, the general argued as he suggested a pullout. Shoigu said he "agreed" with Surovikin's arguments and ordered a regrouping of forces to the left bank of the Dnieper.
3. Successful defense and counter-offensives
Russian troops had earlier been able to successfully repel Ukrainian advances both in Kherson Region and in Donbass, Surovikin said. In particular, they managed to stop an offensive from the city of Kupyansk, which was seized by Kiev in September, into the Lugansk People's Republic, he noted. The general said that a similar advance was prevented in the highly contested Krasny Liman area in Donbass. In some areas, Russian troops have launched counter-offensives, according to Surovikin.
4. Russian and Ukrainian losses
Ukrainian troops have suffered heavy losses in their attacks in recent months, according to Surovikin. Kiev's forces are estimated to have lost more than 12,000 soldiers in October alone, along with more than 200 tanks and 800 other armored vehicles, as well as 18 combat planes. The general said that Russian losses were "seven to eight times lower." Between August and October, Ukrainian attacks in Kherson Region alone cost Kiev more than 9,500 casualties, Surovikin said.
5. Relocation of civilians from Kherson
Russian forces have helped all civilians willing to leave the city of Kherson to relocate to the left bank of the Dnieper, the general said. More than 115,000 people had moved out of the city in recent weeks, he told Shoigu. "We have done everything possible to ensure their safety," Surovikin said, adding that some civilians had moved to Crimea.
6. Situation on the frontlines
Russian troops have managed to "stabilize" the situation on the frontlines despite the continued Ukrainian attacks, Surovikin said. The general also stated that the partial mobilization carried out in Russia between late September and early November allowed Russian forces to build up reserves and greatly enhance combat capabilities. Troops that will be pulled out from the right bank of the Dnieper could also be sent to support offensive operations in other parts of the front, he added
The West will be spinning this of course, as a "great victory for Ukraine". In six month's time it may be anything but. Ukraine has exhausted itself and its Western arms stockpile in theitr bid to regain Kherson and the territory north of the Dneiper as well as the
Zaporozhye nuclear plant. The West has very little armaments left to give them. In contrast, Russia will be comfortable ensconced behind a formidable natural barrier, where it can continue to degrade Ukraine's military, electrical grid and transportation systems at their leisure.
The New Atlas' Brian Berletic explains:
Comment: The Kremlin elaborated on its decision to leave KIherson: The West will be spinning this of course, as a "great victory for Ukraine". In six month's time it may be anything but. Ukraine has exhausted itself and its Western arms stockpile in theitr bid to regain Kherson and the territory north of the Dneiper as well as the Zaporozhye nuclear plant. The West has very little armaments left to give them. In contrast, Russia will be comfortable ensconced behind a formidable natural barrier, where it can continue to degrade Ukraine's military, electrical grid and transportation systems at their leisure.
The New Atlas' Brian Berletic explains: