A decision that could be a turning point in the war in Ukraine. It is taken by Moscow, which ordered the withdrawal of its troops from the occupied zone of the Kherson region. The order came from Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu, who informed the commander of the joint Russian forces group in the region, Sergei Surovikin, to “begin the withdrawal of troops and take all measures to ensure the safe transfer of personnel, weapons. and equipment across the Dnipro River”.
For the first time, therefore, Moscow is forced to admit that it needs to withdraw to reorganize its troops in view of the Ukrainian counteroffensive. “I understand that this is a very difficult decision,” Surovikin said, explaining that the choice is also linked to the possibility of a Kiev attack on the Kakhovka dam. “In this case, there would be an additional threat to the civilian population and the complete isolation of our troop group on the right bank of the Dnipro. Under these conditions, the most appropriate option is to organize the defensive line along the left bank,” he said, further stated. Surovkin.
Kiev, which has accused the Russians of destroying five bridges in their retreat, is not convinced of Moscow’s action. According to Ukrainian presidential adviser Mikhailo Podolyak, in fact, “there are no signs that Russia is leaving Kherson without a fight. A part of the Russian group is still in the city and additional reserves are taking care of the region.” Pending further developments, news came from Kherson of the death of the deputy governor of the pro-Russian administration of the region, Kirill Stremousov, following a road accident caused by a risky maneuver by a truck driver. Stremousov took over as deputy governor after the Kherson region came under the control of Russian forces, and on September 28 he received a passport from the Russian Federation.
From Moscow, on the other hand, came a new opening for negotiations with Kiev. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova explained that Russia “is still open to negotiations, given the realities that are emerging at the moment”.
Meanwhile, for Kiev, EU approval has arrived for a new 18 billion euro financial aid package for 2023. “Together we resist Russian aggression, together we will rebuild Ukraine, together we will be in the EU,” commented Ukrainian President Volodymyr. . Zelensky, who thanked the EU for its help. However, Hungary’s position is ‘delaying’ the European Union’s initiatives. Hungarian Finance Minister Mihaly Varga explained that Budapest intends to help Ukraine “but not support the joint EU loan for this purpose”. Hungary, Varga said, had a “bad experience” with joint EU loans and supported Ukraine with more than 31 billion forints, in addition to hosting more than 1 million refugees.
Support for Kiev was then reiterated by NATO, through Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, who also accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of having made two fundamental strategic mistakes by “underestimating the courage of the Ukrainians” and “the ability of NATO to support Kiev”.
Source: IL Tempo
Emma Fitzgerald is an accomplished political journalist and author at The Nation View. With a background in political science and international relations, she has a deep understanding of the political landscape and the forces that shape it.
