Russian forces have withdrawn from Kherson: ISW think tank

Kyiv, October 23

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Russia’s military leadership has withdrawn its officers in the Russian-annexed city of Kherson across the Dnieper River in anticipation of an advance of Ukrainian troops, the Institute for the Study of War think tank said on Sunday.

To delay the Ukrainian counteroffensive as the Russians complete their retreat, Moscow has left newly mobilised, inexperienced forces on the other side of the wide river, it added. The troop movements come as the Ukrainian military said its forces have continued their counteroffensives in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.

On Saturday, Russian-installed authorities in Ukraine told all Kherson residents to leave immediately ahead of the expected action by Ukrainian troops to take back the city. Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the Russian-backed regional administration in Kherson, said on Sunday that over 20,000 civilians had evacuated to the left bank of the Dnieper River.

He said that while Ukrainian forces were trying to push their offensive on the right bank, Russian defensive lines “have been reinforced and the situation has remained stable”.

The ISW think tank also said on Sunday that Russia’s latest war strategy of targeting power plants in recent days appears to be aimed at diminishing Ukrainians’ will to fight and forcing Ukraine’s government to spend additional resources to protect civilians and energy infrastructure. — AP