Russia says it has completed its withdrawal from the Ukrainian city of Kherson. Troops are said to have gathered on the east side of the Dnipro River. Ukraine does not trust the Kremlin’s claims and says fighting is still ongoing in villages near Kherson.
Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksy Reznikov said Friday morning that a full withdrawal of Russian troops would take at least a week. The Russians announced the start of their operation only on Wednesday.
The withdrawal of Russian troops is also hampered by the blown bridges. At the beginning of Friday, the important Antonivskiy bridge collapsed. It connects the western and eastern banks of the Dnipro River. The next bridge is over 70 kilometers away.
Russia also claims that no military equipment has been left behind. That’s not true. For example, Western intelligence services and Ukraine know for a fact that countless anti-personnel mines have been left behind. According to President Volodymyr Zelensky, 170,000 square kilometers of land have yet to be checked for explosives.
The loss of Kherson is a severe blow to the Kremlin. It was the only provincial capital in Russian hands after the invasion of Ukraine began on February 24. That position is also to be abandoned 8.5 months after the Russian invasion began.
Russia sees Kherson as its own territory since Russian annexation in September. This illegal annexation is practically not recognized by any country in the world.
