According to information from Kyiv, more than 1,000 Russian soldiers have been surrounded by Ukrainian forces in the occupied southern Ukrainian region of Cherson (almost 300,000 inhabitants).
Not far from the Vysokopillya settlement, the Russians got into a “tactical encirclement,” said President Volodymyr Zelenskyi’s adviser, Oleksiy Arestovych, on Friday evening.
On Thursday, the Russian military unsuccessfully attempted a breakthrough. Arestovych’s statements could not be checked independently. A confirmation from the Russian side is not yet available.
Some time ago, the Ukrainian army confirmed the capture of the village of Potemkyne. The general staff report spoke of Russian bombing of the place. Wyssokopillja and Olhyne were not mentioned.
The Ukrainian army had recently launched several counter-offensives in the Cherson region, which Putin’s soldiers had largely brought under their control after the start of the war against the neighboring country that began at the end of February.
Ukraine also wants to reconquer lost territories with the help of Western weapons. In Cherson, the population has repeatedly protested against the Russian occupiers in recent months. There have already been attacks against pro-Russian members of the administration deployed by Moscow.
It remains to be seen how the Ukrainian military will deal with the encircled Russians, or what concessions Moscow could be forced to make as a result. Will Ukraine allow the Russians a corridor to withdraw?