in Kherson, the Ukrainian forces doubt the intentions of departure of the Russians

For weeks, in Kherson, the Russians have been evacuating the inhabitants and removing their flags from the official buildings, occupied since the beginning of the war. But “The enemy is trying to deceive us!”ensures Dmytro Pletentchuk, representative of the Ukrainian army in Mykolaiv.

“The Russian army disguises its soldiers as civilians and puts them in the housing of Kherson, from which they forcibly removed the inhabitants. They want to give the impression to the whole world that the people here are fighting the Ukrainian power.”

Dmytro Pletentchouk, representative of the Ukrainian army in Mykolaiv

at franceinfo

Civilians, the real ones, hardly dare to communicate to their relatives the reality of their daily life for fear of being watched by the Russians. But the rare testimonies that come out of this cordoned off city confirm the looting and degradation even in hospitals and museums.

>> War in Ukraine: “The officers have left the city, instead we see freshly mobilized”, testifies a resident of Kherson

Are the Russian occupation forces withdrawing or preparing for the fighting to come? “The Russians claim to want to leave our occupied territories”Explain Dmytro Pletentchuk. “But in reality, they send the newly mobilized men to the front line, like cannon fodder, to compensate for their losses among the military.”

The losses have become greater on the Russian side these days, with 700 daily deaths according to the Ukrainian army, against 300, on average, in recent months. The fighting is hard in the region. kyiv’s counter-offensive to retake Kherson could last for weeks.