Russia Likely to Pull Troops from Southern Ukraine's Kherson, But Kyiv Suspects Trap

A Russian-installed official in Ukraine’s Kherson region said that Moscow was likely to pull its troops from the west bank of the Dnipro River in the region, signaling a significant treat.

“Most likely our units, our soldiers, will leave for the left (eastern) bank,” Kirill Stremousov, the Russian-installed deputy civilian administrator of the Kherson region reportedly told Solovyov Live, a pro-Kremlin online media outlet.

The area includes Kherson city, the capital of the region with the same name and the only major Ukrainian city captured intact since the Russian invasion began on Feb. 24.

Earlier, Russia had denied that its forces were planning to withdraw from the region, with any retreat showing a significant defeat for its forces.

“The situation in Kherson is clear as mud,” tweeted Michael Kofman, director of Russia studies at the Center for Naval Analyses.

“Russian forces seemed to withdraw from some parts, evacuated, and drew down, but also reinforced with mobilised personnel. The fighting there is difficult. Despite constrained supply, Russian forces do not appear to be out of ammo,” he added.

The recent move also coincided with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s remarks that Ukrainian forces can retake the strategic southern city of Kherson from Russian troops.

However, Ukraine said it was still fighting in the area and was wary of the occupying Russian forces setting a trap.

Russia has fought for months to hang on to the pocket of land it holds on the west bank at the mouth of the Dnipro river that bisects Ukraine. Moscow had sent tens of thousands of troops to reinforce the area, one of its biggest battlefield priorities.

Ukraine has targeted the main river crossings for months, making it difficult for Russia to supply its huge force on the west bank. Ukrainian troops have been advancing along the river since bursting through the Russian frontline at the start of October, although their advance had slowed.

Kherson, which had a prewar population of 280,000, is the only regional capital to be captured by Russian forces. The city and surrounding areas fell into Moscow’s hands in the opening days of the conflict as Russian troops quickly pushed their attack north from Crimea — the region illegally annexed by the Kremlin in 2014.

Its loss was a major blow to Ukraine because of its location on the Dnieper River, near the mouth of the Black Sea, and its role as a major industrial center. Ukrainian resistance fighters have challenged Russian troops for control of the city ever since, with acts of sabotage and assassinations of Moscow-appointed officials.

Kherson also sits at a point where Ukraine can cut off fresh water from the Dnieper to Crimea. Kyiv blocked those vital supplies after the Crimean Peninsula’s annexation, and Putin mentioned the need to restore them as one reason behind his decision to invade.

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