Zelenskyy on the recapture of Cherson: “Today is a historic day”

The Russian troops are gone, Ukrainian special forces are on site. The strategically important city of Kherson is again under the control of Kiev. President Selenskyj spoke of a “historic day”.

Special units of the Ukrainian army have reached the strategically important city of Kherson in the south of the country – this has been confirmed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. More troops are on their way. “Today is a historic day,” said Zelenskyj in his video speech. However, the city has not yet been completely freed from the “enemy presence”, he explained.

The residents of Kherson also independently removed Russian symbols from streets and buildings. Zelenskyj also published a video that is supposed to show motorcades and cheering choirs for the approaching Ukrainian soldiers. “The people of Kherson have been waiting. They have never given up on Ukraine,” said the head of state. “It will be the same in the cities that still await our reconquest.”

Remaining Russian soldiers are to surrender

The Ministry of Defense in Kyiv had previously declared: “Kherson is returning to Ukraine’s control.” It had called on remaining Russian soldiers to “surrender immediately”. The retreat routes of the “Russian invaders” are under fire from the Ukrainian army, the ministry said. “Any Russian soldier who resists will be eliminated.” However, those who surrender will be left alive.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called the Russian withdrawal “another important victory” for Ukraine. Kuleba wrote in online services: “Whatever Russia says or does – Ukraine will win”.

Kherson region is strategically important

Russian attack troops had occupied large parts of the Cherson region and the regional capital of the same name shortly after the start of the invasion of Ukraine at the end of February. For the government in Moscow, the region is of great strategic importance in order to be able to continue the offensive in the direction of Mykolaiv and the Black Sea port of Odessa.

Under pressure from the Ukrainian counter-offensives, Russia announced last Wednesday that it was withdrawing its own troops from the part of Cherson northwest of the Dnipro River. The regional capital of the same name, Cherson, is also located there. Before the Ukrainian troops moved in today, Moscow officially declared the withdrawal to be complete. In total, more than 30,000 soldiers were brought to the left bank of the river. The move followed territorial gains by Ukrainian forces in the region.

Moscow wants to continue “special operation”.

Ukrainian General Valeriy Zalushny said on Thursday that their own troops had recaptured six settlements after fighting on the front between Petropavlivka and Novoraisk. According to him, six other towns were taken between Perwomaiske and Cherson. In total, Ukraine has recaptured more than 200 square kilometers of territory.

Yet Moscow sees no end to its “special operation,” as Russia itself calls the war of aggression. According to its own statements, the Kremlin does not rule out negotiations with Ukraine. However, one does not see any willingness in Kiev for talks, said spokesman Dmitry Peskov, according to Russian news agencies. “Kyiv doesn’t want talks, so the military special operation continues,” Peskov said.

From the Kremlin’s point of view, the “military special operation” could either be ended once its goals have been achieved or through negotiations. However, peace talks “from a position of strength”, as claimed by the Ukrainian side, are not possible. Regardless of its own withdrawal, Moscow continued to designate the Cherson region, which the Kremlin had only annexed in violation of international law in September, as its own state territory.

Russian attacks on the region again

According to its own statements, shortly after the withdrawal of its own troops from Cherson and other places, Russia began attacking the region that had just been abandoned. “Currently, troops and military equipment of the Ukrainian armed forces are being shelled on the right bank of the Dnipro River,” the Russian Defense Ministry said.

There was also shelling in other regions of the embattled Ukraine. According to the government in Kyiv, a rocket attack on a residential building in the city of Mykolaiv resulted in deaths and injuries. The Ukrainian governor of the region, Vitaly Kim, said on the Telegram news channel that six dead had been recovered from the rubble of a five-storey apartment building.

Moscow and Kyiv meanwhile exchanged prisoners again. “We managed to free 45 fighters from the armed forces,” said the head of the Ukrainian presidential office in Kyiv, Andriy Yermak, in the news service Telegram. These are soldiers and sergeants. How many soldiers were handed over to the Russian side was not initially disclosed.

The trend remains clear – Ukraine liberates further places in the south

Thielko Grieß, MDR, 11/11/2022 9:03 a.m