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The battle for Kherson is imminent: Ukrainian soldiers are preparing for “the toughest battle”, said the Ukrainian presidential adviser, adding: “No one is ready to retreat”.
The France-Presse news agency reported on 26 October from the road to Kherson that Ukrainians were advancing towards the city of Kherson from two directions. One of the longer routes starts from the industrial town of Kryvyï Rig and passes through numerous villages, most of which are still under Russian control. A shorter route is via the “M14” motorway directly to Kherson.
The 40-kilometer line from the Ukrainian-controlled city of Mykolaiv to the Russian-occupied city of Kherson forms the backbone of the Kiev forces’ offensive to re-enter the Sea of Azov and cut off Russia’s access to Crimea .
The war was dominated by elite Ukrainian forces, supported by a motley army of volunteers. Volunteers commute to and from the two-lane road with little protection from Russian drones and warplanes. Many people swore or complained along the way.
On the way to Kherson in southern Ukraine, two old friends recalled their time as truck drivers before the Russian invasion, the AFP report said. I am now at the forefront of a great battle.
The next phase of this war, the battle for the Russian-occupied city of Kherson, will likely depend on the fighting spirit of soldiers like these two friends, as well as the fighting spirit of their commanders (a former office supervisor).
However, both former truck drivers said they “have no objection to going home”. Because “conditions here are not very good”. The 51-year-old soldier nicknamed “Uncle” said: “We went this way under fire and then we came back here under fire.
Surrounded by fields of withered sunflowers, there was nowhere to hide from the Russian bombs and missiles that could fall at any moment. The Ukrainians had just fired artillery and were preparing for the almost inevitable Russian response.
The AFP said the commander, Major Mihailo, was a thin, learned-looking man who worked in an office and had no combat experience prior to the Russian invasion. His eyes moisten as he talks about the massive support his troops have received from the few Ukrainian civilians who have yet to flee. The 41-year-old mayor smiled shyly: “They provide us with fruit, vegetables … we don’t need them”, but “it’s nice to know that our neighbors, our friends, their children, are all in solidarity with us.”.
But his face turned serious as he started counting the weapons Ukraine still needed to finally repel the Russians. “It’s very difficult to hit a tank with an automatic rifle,” he told her.
Major Mihailo calculated the weapons his troops would have to fight without exposing them to retaliatory fire. And the frustration with incompatible weapons has been around since the early days of the war.
AFP said Washington’s decision to start supplying long-range missiles in late May shifted the balance of power, allowing Ukrainians to launch a counter-offensive in the northeast. But the Russians used most of the remaining troops to defend Kherson.
