Russian President Vladimir Putin attends a meeting with Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence, outside Moscow, Russia, October 28, 2022. Sputnik / Mikhail Metzel / Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS – PHOTOS THIS IS SUPPLIED A THIRD PARTY.
Mikhail Metzel | Sputnik | Reuters
Russian President Vladimir Putin publicly endorsed the evacuation of civilians from Ukraine’s southern Kherson regions on Friday, the latest sign of Russia’s retreat in one of the most bitterly contested regions. in Ukraine.
“Of course, people living in Kherson should now be removed from the area where the most dangerous actions are taken, because civilians should not suffer,” Putin told pro-Kremlin activists. as he marked Russia’s National Unity Day.
Moscow has moved people out of the area it controls in Kherson on the west bank of the Dnipro River, and this week announced that the evacuation zone will also include a 15-kilometer buffer zone on the east bank. But these comments appear to be the first time Putin has personally confirmed the evacuation.
Russia says it has brought people to safety from the Ukrainian offensive. Kyiv says the measures include the forced deportation of civilians, a war crime, which Russia denies.
Putin’s comments come amid signs Russia may be preparing to give up its military position on the west bank of the Dnipro River, including in the regional capital Kherson – likely one of them. Russia’s largest retreat in the war.
On Thursday, Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the Russian-installed occupation administration in Kherson, said Russia is likely to withdraw its troops from the west bank. In later comments, he was more serious, saying he hoped there would be no withdrawal but “we had to make some very difficult decisions.”
Late on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the heaviest fighting in the past week had taken place around Bakhmut and Soledar, in the eastern Donetsk region about 500 kilometers northeast of Kherson.
“We are holding our position in these and some other areas in the Donetsk region,” he said in a video address, accusing Russia of insanely extravagant behavior for giving “dozens of or hundreds of thousands more into the meat grinder.”
During the day, Ukrainian forces shot down eight Iranian drones and two Russian missiles, Zelenskiy said.
Curfew
Photos that have gone viral on the internet show the main administrative building in the city of Kherson with the Russian flag no longer flying atop. Kyiv was alert, saying such signs could be Russian deception to lure the Ukrainian military into a trap.
24 hours A curfew has been imposed on the city on Friday, Stremousov said, extra measures were needed to protect Kherson from a possible Ukrainian attack.
Ukrainian soldiers in a company of motorized infantry dug in a tree line west of Kherson believe the Russians will eventually retreat, but will fight when they do.
Vitalyi, 48, the company’s deputy commander, said Russia’s recent efforts to bolster its defenses appear to be more about securing a troop withdrawal than keeping Kherson.
“They have a large number of tanks and men, but I don’t think they have a realistic plan to stay more than a week or two,” he said, as his men took advantage of the unusually mild weather to improve the situation. Improve the bunker and clean up the weapons in the context of a continuous artillery barrage.
Vladyslav, a 27-year-old soldier, said he expected the Russians to fight: “We will fight too. We have nowhere else to go. This is our home. This is our land. “.
The regional capital, on the West Bank at the mouth of the Dnipro River, is the only major city Russia has captured intact since its invasion in February. Its losses to Russian forces would be one of the heaviest blows of the war.
More US military aid and official visits
The United States announced the value of $ 400 million Additional security support for Ukraine, including refurbishment of T-72 tanks from the Czech Republic and missiles for Air Defense HAWK could be used against Russian drones and cruise missiles.
The new aid brings US military aid to Kyiv to more than $18.2 billion since the invasion. As it was announced, President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, met with President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, in Kyiv.
Mr. Sullivan said Washington will continue to provide economic, humanitarian and military aid with the backing of both Democrats and Biden’s opposition Republicans.
“We are absolutely intent on securing the necessary resources and we will get votes from both sides to make that happen,” he told reporters at the Ukrainian presidential palace.
Sullivan’s remarks come days before the US midterm elections, in which Republicans have a good chance of taking control of Congress. This has concerns that close allies of former President Donald Trump, known for his “America First” agenda, could cut or even block aid to Ukraine, which must be approved by the House and Senate. via.
Mr. Sullivan’s visit comes a day after Democratic Senator Chris Coons and Republican Senator Rob Portman arrived in the Ukrainian capital in an attempt to signal bipartisan support for the United States.
