- Ukraine wins in the southern Kherson region, pushing back Russia.
- Britain’s Ministry of Defense said Russian troops would normally withdraw rather than fight there.
- Russia could withdraw to dig in at crucial defensible locations like the city of Kherson.
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Russian troops are mostly withdrawing from a key region of Ukraine rather than fighting, Britain’s Defense Ministry said on Thursday.
The ministry said in a statement To update that Ukraine on Sunday made a renewed effort to retake the south-eastern Kherson region and that it made some gains and shifted the front line with Russia.
It said Ukraine had not yet threatened Russia’s main defensive positions, and the Russians would mostly choose to retreat rather than oppose the Ukrainians.
“Russian forces have usually severed contact and withdrawn.” it said.
Ukraine has acknowledged the withdrawal of Russian troops and has recaptured numerous cities in Kherson.
It is possible that with the withdrawal, Russia will retreat to more defensible positions and make work more difficult for Ukraine.
The Washington Post noted that some Ukrainian troops believe Russia is withdrawing to bolster its defenses of the city of Kherson, the region’s capital.
That’s because the city is strategically important and has the symbolic importance of being the first city Russia claimed when it invaded.
A pro-Russian official said the Russians were withdrawing “to gather their forces and launch a retaliatory strike.”
Kherson is one of four Ukrainian regions that Russia says it is annexing, making the prospect of losing control there even more punitive.
Britain’s Ministry of Defense said Russia faces a “dilemma” – whether it prioritizes keeping its soldiers alive or following the “political imperative” to defend themselves.
Ukraine launched its eastern counteroffensive last month and has since retaken large parts of the territory.
The result is that Russia no longer fully controls any of the four eastern Ukrainian regions it declared last week that it would be included in Russia.