This confirmation came the day after Moscow announced its withdrawal from the right bank of the Dnipro River, where the regional capital is located.
“Units of Russian soldiers are conducting maneuvers to a position prepared for them on the left bank of the Dnipro River, in strict accordance with the established plan,” the Russian Defense Ministry said.
For its part, the Ukrainian army has announced the recovery of 12 cities in the Kherson region, which were under pressure from a Ukrainian counterattack before the Russian withdrawal, according to Ukrainian army commander Valery Zaluzhny.
“Yesterday, the units of the defense forces advanced 7 kilometers, taking control of 6 cities in the direction of Petropavlevka-Novoraisk,” Zaluzhny said on Telegram.
He pointed out that the Ukrainian army has also “recaptured 6 cities in the direction of Pervomaisky-Kherson”, or more than 260 square kilometers.
In a surprising development yesterday, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced that Russian forces will withdraw from the western bank of the Dnipro River, which includes Kherson, the only regional capital that Russia captured since the attack on Ukraine last year. February.
In the same context, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan praised Russia’s decision to withdraw from the Kherson region, calling it “positive and important”.
Erdogan’s statements reached journalists today, Thursday, before his departure for Uzbekistan to attend the summit of the Organization of Turkish States.
In turn, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg announced today Thursday that he is observing the withdrawal of the Russians from the Kherson region, indicating that the withdrawal – if confirmed – will constitute “a new victory for Ukraine”.
“We have to monitor the evolution of the situation on the ground in the coming days, but it is clear that Russia is under great pressure and if it leaves Kherson it will constitute a new victory for Ukraine,” said Stoltenberg, after talks with the Italian Prime Minister. Georgia Meloni in Rome.
