Russia announces Kherson withdrawal
The commander of Russian forces in Ukraine said Wednesday that his troops will withdraw from the crucial port city of Kherson in the south, a major setback reflecting the Kremlin’s increasing struggles to turn back a counteroffensive that has returned hundreds of square miles of seized land to Ukrainian control.
The announcement was met with skepticism by Ukrainian officials, who have been wary their troops may be lured into a trap by Russian forces girding for urban warfare in the industrial city on the west bank of the Dnipro River. General Sergey Surovikin, speaking on Russian state TV, said retreat from the only regional capital seized since the invasion was “a hard decision” but would spare the lives of troops and allow for establishment of a better defensive position. Ukrainian attacks have cut off supply lines and crossing points, leaving Russian troops vulnerable to encirclement.
Ukraine presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak warned on Twitter against trusting “staged TV statements” and said, “We see no signs that Russia is leaving Kherson without a fight.”
Also Wednesday:
⬤ Almost 70% of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet is incapacitated and “can’t carry out any offensive actions,” Yigal Levin, a military expert and former officer of the Israel Defense Forces, told Ukraine Radio NV.
⬤ Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of Russia’s occupation government in Kherson region, died Wednesday in a car crash, according to Ukrainian and Russian media. Details were not immediately available.
⬤ The EU Commission proposed an $18 billion loan plan for Ukraine in 2023. The $1.5 billion a month will help maintain essential state functions, ensure macroeconomic stability and rehabilitate critical infrastructure, the commission said in a statement.
⬤ Britain will provide Ukraine’s armed forces with 25,000 sets of extreme cold weather clothing by mid-December, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said. The U.K. will also send a further 12,000 extreme cold weather sleeping kits and 150 heated tents, “ensuring troops are able to operate and survive the plunging temperatures.”
⬤ All Ukraine regions will be subjected to emergency outages, in addition to the scheduled rolling blackouts, grid operator Ukrenergo said. Russian attacks have destroyed or damaged 40% of the country’s energy infrastructure.