By Daniel Davis
The commander of Russian forces in Ukraine claimed today that his forces had chosen to withdraw from Kherson for positions he said were more defensible on the east bank of the critical Dnipro River. Aleksey Arestovich, Senior Advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, fired back that Russia was being “driven out of Kherson by Ukrainian Defense Forces.”
The circumstances and purposes of Russia’s looming withdrawal remain murky. Still, one thing is clear: if Russian forces follow through and leave, it would represent another major setback for Putin’s forces and a shot in the arm for Zelensky’s.
At a Moscow press event on Wednesday, Russian Gen. Sergei Surovikin told Russian Minister of Defense Sergey Shoigu that Surovikin had assessed that holding Kherson would be too costly, and recommended Shoigu allow him to withdraw to “preserve lives of servicemen and combat readiness of forces.” The Russians would reposition on the eastern bank of the Dnipro River to previously prepared defensive positions, the general claimed.
This piece was originally published in 19FortyFive on November 9, 2022. Read more HERE.