“Overall, the situation can be described as tense“. The confession comes from the new commander of the Russian army, appointed ten days ago. General Sergei Surovikin spoke this Tuesday, October 18 during an interview with the public television channel Rossiya 24, while the Kherson region had just announced the evacuation of civilians in the face of the threat of a Ukrainian assault.
>> War in Ukraine: follow the situation live
By giving an interview on television, when the names of his predecessors were not even known, Sergei Surovikin showed that the Kremlin gave him carte blanche. The general, reputed to be brutal and in charge of operations in Ukraine for 10 days, assumed in front of the camera to do the dirty work in place of the politicians, admitting the difficulties of the Russian army.
On the ground, the Russian army is retreating in eastern Ukraine. But above all, everything seems to indicate that it is preparing to lose Kherson, the great southern city which it had annexed from the first days of the invasion. “The enemy continuously tries to attack the positions of the Russian troops“, describe Sergei Surovikin, This primarily concerns Kupiansk, Lyman and Mykolaiv-Kryvyi Rih sectors.” Areas located mainly in the north of the Kherson region.
The Russian army has retreated 20 to 30 km in recent weeks and risks being cornered on the banks of the Dnieper River, which crosses the region from north to south. “Our future plans and actions regarding the city of Kherson itself will depend on the upcoming military-tactical situation. I repeat, it is already very difficult today“, said the general.
Faced with the emergency, the head of the Russian administration in Kherson broadcast a video message this Tuesday, October 18 on his social networks. “I ask you to take my words seriously, and as a call for an emergency evacuation.“launched Kirill Stremoussov, saying that he has no intention of surrendering and leaving the city”to the Nazis.”
Live sOn the Rossiya 24 television channel on Wednesday morning, Vladimir Saldo, the head of the Russian occupation administration, indicated that the evacuation had been launched, in the face of the advance of the Ukrainian troops, while ensuring that the Russian army would fight on the spot “until death“.”From today, all the power structures that are in the city, the civil and military administration, all the ministries, are also moving to the left bank” of the Dnieper river which borders Kherson, he announced. The Russian forces on the spot thus indicate that they want to evacuate more than 50 to 60,000 people in six days.
However, if General Kirill Stremoussov encouraged the inhabitants of Kherson fled to the east, he also warned that the city’s supply of food, water and electricity was becoming complicated. The occupation administration thus published a list advice to residents, with several recommendations. The Russian authorities call on the inhabitants to move to other annexed areas and promise to take care of everything.