Russia to withdraw troops from Kherson front line to avoid harm to civilians
Russia will withdraw its troops from the Dnipro River’s west bank in the face of attacks by Ukraine’s forces near the southern city of Kherson.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Russia’s Defense Ministry said the decision was made to avoid unnecessary losses among Russian forces and spare civilian lives.
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has said he would “proceed with the withdrawal of the soldiers” after a proposal by the commander of Russian operations in Ukraine, General Sergei Surovikin.
Surovikin said it was "not at all an easy decision" to make but explained it was no longer possible to supply Kherson.
He proposed to take up defensive lines on the east bank of the river. "We will save the lives of our soldiers and fighting capacity of our units. Keeping them on the right (western) bank is futile. Some of them can be used on other fronts," Surovikin said.
Over the past weeks, local authorities have been working to bring as many civilians as possible to Dnipro’s west bank, citing a threat posed by Ukrainian forces deployed on the opposite side.
Moscow has accused Kiev of planning to use a "dirty bomb" to spread radiation or to blow up a dam to flood towns and villages in Kherson Province. Kiev denies it would use such tactics.
“If the Kiev regime … launches an even more devastating attack on the Kakhovskaya dam, a flow of water could arise that would flood large areas, causing significant civilian casualties,” Surovikin said. This, according to the commander, “would create further threats for civilians and risk total isolation of our force grouping on the right bank of Dnipro.”
Mykhailo Podolyak, a senior adviser to Ukraine’s president, said on Wednesday it was too early to talk about a Russian troop pullout from Kherson.
The mouth of Dnipro has become one of the most consequential frontlines in recent weeks. Russia has thousands of troops there and has been trying to reinforce the area. Ukraine's advance has slowed in recent days.
Russian President Vladimir Putin annexed the Kherson region after referendums in four Ukrainian regions in late September.
Russia launched its “special military operation” in Ukraine in late February, following Kiev’s failure to implement the terms of the 2014 Minsk agreements and Moscow’s recognition of the breakaway regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.
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