The pullback to the left bank of the Dnipro River was described by one influential war blogger as ‘a black page in the history of the Russian army’.
“:”Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu on Wednesday ordered his troops to withdraw from the occupied Ukrainian city of Kherson and take up defensive lines on the opposite bank of the Dnipro River. The announcement marked one of Russia’s most significant retreats and a potential turning point in the war, now nearing the end of its ninth month. In televised comments, General Sergei Surovikin, in overall command of the war, reported to Shoigu that it was no longer possible to keep Kherson city supplied. “Having comprehensively assessed the current situation, it is proposed to take up defence along the left [eastern] bank of the Dnipro River,” said Surovikin, standing at a lectern and indicating troop positions on a map whose details were greyed-out for the television audience. Russian official signals Kherson retreat, but Ukraine fears a trap “I understand that this is a very difficult decision, but at the same time we will preserve the most important thing – the lives of our servicemen and, in general, the combat effectiveness of the group of troops, which it is futile to keep on the right bank in a limited area.
