Moscow confirms the city’s subordination to it and links the end of the “special operation” to the achievement of its goals
Yesterday, Friday, Kyiv celebrated the recovery of Kherson, which its army entered after Moscow decided to withdraw more than 30,000 soldiers from the city it had controlled since last March, and still considers it “Russian”.
Ukraine’s defense ministry said: “Kherson is back under Ukrainian control. There are units of Ukrainian forces entering the city,” while calling on the remaining Russian soldiers to “surrender immediately,” vowing to “preserve the lives and safety” of those who do so.
Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the “Kremlin” does not consider the withdrawal from Kherson province and the redeployment of forces on the left bank of the Dnipro River an insulting matter.
A local Ukrainian official announced that the flag had been raised in Kherson, and indicated that a large part of the Russian forces had not been able to leave. Sergei Khalan, a member of the Kherson regional council appointed from Ukraine, said that a large number of Russian soldiers drowned in the Dnipro River while trying to withdraw from Kherson, while others put on civilian clothes and tried to hide. Residents were advised not to leave their homes, while the search for the remaining Russian forces continues.
It was remarkable yesterday that the Kremlin spokesman announced that Moscow might end the special military operation in Ukraine, after achieving its objectives on the ground, indicating that Kherson is subject to Russia. “The conflict in Ukraine, from our point of view, is a special military operation in Ukraine that can be terminated after achieving its goals,” Peskov said. He continued by saying: “Or it is completed by achieving the goals through peaceful negotiations; It is also possible, but as we know, given the position taken by the Ukrainian side, peaceful negotiations are impossible. He noted that the Kherson province is subject to Russia, and this situation is constant.
Source: aawsat