On Wednesday, the Russian Defense Minister ordered the withdrawal of Russian troops from the right bank of the Dnieper. The inhabitants, on the alert, are wary of these declarations.
This is an announcement that marks, perhaps, a turning point in Russia’s war in Ukraine. But the Ukrainian authorities are particularly suspicious after Russia’s official declaration to withdraw its forces from Kherson. kyiv says it expects to have to continue to fight to conquer this only regional capital taken by Moscow at the start of its offensive.
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Nearly nine months after the start of the invasion, this withdrawal of Kherson sounds like a stinging setback for Moscow, already forced to abandon the Kharkiv region in September. An announcement which also comes at the same time as an American estimate according to which this conflict has caused the death or injury of more than 100,000 soldiers on each side.
On the Red square of Moscow, last September 30, the name of Kherson on the banners surmounted the inscription “Together forever”. Six weeks later, the Russian army was therefore forced to leave the city under the pressure of the Ukrainian offensive: the right bank of the Dnieper could no longer be supplied correctly. Cut off from their logistical lines, the Russian soldiers were unable to resist, General Sergei Surovikin, commander of the Kremlin “special operation”. Even if he justified this withdrawal above all by the fact that the civilian populations were in danger, it was above all the military situation that forced him to take this decision “not easy“, he admitted in front of the Minister of Defense and the television cameras. The Russian General Staff affirms that 115,000 inhabitants have also been evacuated to the south. It is therefore in a virtual ghost town that the Ukrainian army could make its entry soon.
But, nevertheless, kyiv does not cry victory, quite the contrary. The Ukrainian power reacted with great caution to this announcement: President Volodymyr Zelensky thus calls in his daily message to the Ukrainians to stay “impassive” in the face of this information, in a way. And for good reason: kyiv believes that it may be a trap on the part of the Russians.
“Do not believe what Russia says. In Kherson today there is no retreat of the Russian army. On the contrary: Moscow sends new mobilized from the Crimea and at the same time sets up an important line of defense on the left bank of Kherson“, thus denounced Wednesday, November 9 the adviser to the presidency, Mykhaïlo Podoliak after the declarations of the Russian Minister of Defense and the general at the head of the Russian troops in the region. The Ukrainian army rather suspects Moscow of “to disguise” his soldiers in “civilians” and to “install“in town, in deserted accommodation, in order to prepare the conditions for a fierce urban battle. A particularly anxiety-provoking situation for the inhabitants of Kherson whom franceinfo was able to contact. remain particularly careful in their speaking, for fear of being watched, in particular. “The announcement of the withdrawal of Russian troops? I think it’s part of their propaganda… Hard to say what’s going on. But we have been confident since the beginning of the occupation: we are going to be liberated. It’s just a matter of time“, finally dares this inhabitant of the right bank of Kherson.
He and his family did not follow the call of the Russian authorities to evacuate, to cross the river: once on the left bank, “You don’t know what can happen to you“, while”Here life goes on! We have a place to take shelter… We have stocked up, 300 liters of water, food, generators. We are well prepared. In case ! We are not afraid of what will happen.“The sequel looks like a big question mark. But the battle for Kherson may not be over.