The decision could lead to the opening of a process of negotiations between kyiv and Moscow
MADRID, 11 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The withdrawal of Russian forces from the Ukrainian region of Kherson has been consolidated this Friday after the troops of the Ukrainian Army have finally reached the center of the city despite the fact that Moscow insists that the area “remains Russian” after the fold.
With the Ukrainian flag waving again in one of the main squares of the city, kyiv has perceived the advance of its troops as a victory for the Ukrainian Army, which continues to fight against Russian forces in an attempt to reverse the advances of enemy soldiers. in areas that have been annexed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The territory of Kherson is part of the areas that, together with Zaporizhia, Donetsk and Lugansk, have been annexed by Russia since the war began on February 24, when the country deployed its troops on Ukrainian territory with the alleged intention of ” demilitarize” and “denazify” Ukraine.
However, the withdrawal of some 30,000 troops by Russia, which has also involved the transfer of equipment and troops from the western bank of the Dnieper River, means a serious blow to the Kremlin, which ensures that “it does not mean any humiliation”.
During the last few hours, dozens of people have taken to the streets with Ukrainian flags to celebrate what they consider to be a new achievement for kyiv and to show their support for the Army.
The Ukrainian government, which has numbered more than a dozen liberated areas, has urged the Russian soldiers who are in the region to surrender and surrender “if they wish to preserve their lives”, although some towns, such as Berislav, also on the west bank, they are being bombed.
The Ukrainian president, Volodimir Zelenski, has advocated not lowering his guard and acting cautiously, considering that “the enemy never makes concessions” and given the prospect that the withdrawal will serve the Army to recover territory for the future, a kind of trap that finally makes Ukraine lose the area.
“They are prepared to defend this region and they are not prepared to leave the city,” Zelensky said this week during an interview with the CNN television network. “They do not want the war to end. Now, you have to understand that it is only the Kremlin and one person who want to go ahead with this. Putin may be tired of life, but he is definitely not tired of war,” he stressed. .
The Chechen leader himself, Ramzan Kadirov, has supported the Kremlin’s decision and has stressed that, “difficult but correct”, this measure will save the lives of thousands of soldiers while the territory is reordered in favor of Russia.
However, experts remain hopeful that the withdrawal from the symbolic region, although difficult, will pave the way for a dialogue process that will put an end to the conflict, an issue that has only shown signs of stagnation.
Kherson — which is located near the mouth of the Dnieper River — was the only regional capital taken by Russia since the invasion began. Its withdrawal is therefore of vital importance to the Ukrainian authorities despite the fact that Russia could be preparing to adopt a more defensive posture in the immediate vicinity.
Although everything points to a strategic withdrawal, which has still led to the evacuation of dozens of civilians, kyiv warns of an in-depth plan that has precisely converted the Dnieper River, which runs from Russian territory to Ukraine through Belarus, in a new front line between the two countries.
The main idea of ????Moscow, which has detonated the main access bridge to the city before leaving the area, lies in reinforcing its presence on the eastern flank to further protect its status on the Crimean peninsula and prevent further advance of the Ukrainian front.
In this sense, everything points to a tactical advantage for Russia, which has rethought its strategy and fears above all that Ukraine will turn the area into a springboard to Crimea, which was annexed in 2014.
The Ukrainian government, which fears that the town will end up becoming a “city of death”, has warned that before their departure the Russian soldiers have deposited anti-personnel mines that will serve as a trap for the Ukrainian forces on their way into the interior.
At this point, British military intelligence has also seen “likely” that Russian forces have left mines in the areas from which they are now withdrawing to delay the advance of Ukrainian troops.
For all these reasons, although the end of the offensives in Kherson seems to be over, a city that could mark the fate of the war in Ukraine, everything points to the fact that the real battle has not yet begun.
