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Retreating Russian troops: Soldiers try to cross the Dnieper River near the city of Cherson in southern Ukraine on a pontoon bridge.
Russia wants to regroup its invading army on the east side of the river.
In the meantime, the Antonivka Bridge is said to have been partially blown up, as can be seen in these video recordings circulating on Twitter.
It is unclear whether the Ukrainian or Russian army is responsible for the damage.
The Kremlin cites supply problems as the official reason for the withdrawal.
And they don't come as a surprise.
Claudia Major: »The withdrawal of the Russian troops from Cherson actually came with an announcement.
Since August, the Ukrainians have been systematically trying to attack depots behind Russian lines, such as supply routes and communication lines, thereby weakening Russian troops.
And that apparently worked.
«
The Russian withdrawal was announced on state television earlier this week.
President Vladimir Putin did not appear in front of the cameras.
Rather, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and the commander of the Russian armed forces had to announce the bad news in a staged dialogue.
Sergey Surovikin, Commander of the Russian Armed Forces: "Having comprehensively analyzed the situation, I propose that we take defensive positions along the left bank of the Dnipro River.
I understand that this is a very difficult decision.
But at the same time, above all, we will save the lives of our troops and increase the overall combat effectiveness of the troops.«
Sergei Shoigu, Minister of Defense of Russia: "Proceed with the withdrawal of troops and take all measures to ensure the safe transfer of personnel, weapons and equipment across the Dnipro River."
Major: "The announcement by the secretary of defense with the military commander seems to me like this should be framed as a purely military decision.
So something that Putin actually has nothing to do with, but what takes place on a purely military level.
In my view, the loss of Kherson - or the liberation of Kherson from a Ukrainian perspective - is a major and resounding political and military defeat for Russia.
Is it a political defeat, or is it politically symbolic, because Cherson was the only major provincial capital that they had conquered very early on and have held ever since, and which they have now incorporated into Russia as part of these fake referendums and pseudo-annexations.
This is a well-known example of
that Russia cannot control the territories it claims.
So, politically symbolically, it really is a humiliation beyond compare.«
In September, Russia's ruler Vladimir Putin announced in Moscow the annexation of the Cherson region and three other Ukrainian regions.
Putin: “The people who live in Kherson have become our citizens.
Forever.«
The Russian Defense Ministry has now announced that the withdrawal of its own troops from Cherson has been completed.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reacted cautiously to the Russian withdrawal.
The enemy does not give gifts, he said in a speech on Wednesday.
Some Ukrainian authorities have already spoken of a possible trap.
Major: "Currently there is a lot of evidence that it is in fact an attempt at an orderly retreat to avoid being surrounded by the Ukrainians.
This indicates that the civilian population of the city has been deported since October, some of them apparently leaving voluntarily, that the Russian occupation administration has withdrawn and the flag has also been lowered.
That there are reports of looting by Russian soldiers who take everything they can, and that increasing numbers of Russian military equipment have been misplaced.«
Before they left, the Russian soldiers are said to have mined large parts of the area.
In addition, parts of the infrastructure were destroyed.
Major: »The battle for Cherson is not over with this announced retreat.
So far we haven't seen any signs from Moscow that it has changed its aims or line with regard to Ukraine.
So we haven't seen any distancing from the goal that Ukraine should be denazified.
Russia still stands by the annexation of this region.
That is, it incorporated part of the Ukrainian state territory.
That means I don't currently see any signs that Russia would voluntarily leave Ukraine.
Rather, we must assume that it will defend the other occupied territories.
And as soon as it is in a better situation again, it will probably try to recapture the areas it annexed in the fake referendums.«