On the banks of the Dnieper River and overlooking the Black Sea coast is the Ukrainian seaport city of Kherson – also known as the “Gate to Crimea”. Because the Ukrainian peninsula, which was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014, is just under 100 kilometers southeast of the city of 380,000 inhabitants.
In March the city fell into Russian hands during the war in Ukraine, in September the entire Kherson oblast was annexed by Russian President Vladimir Putin (70), along with Luhansk, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhya – and on November 9 the Russian Defense Minister announced that Sergei Shoigu (67) surprised the withdrawal of his troops from the city.
In Shoigu’s speech, Shoigu said the intention was now to focus on the left bank of the Dnieper. And you probably won’t give up these positions without a fight. Because even if Russian troops withdraw from the city itself, they will continue to position themselves in the outskirts of Kherson and consolidate their defenses on the left bank of the Dnieper.
Satellite images show trenches in Kherson Oblast
In recent weeks, well before the withdrawal announcement, Russian troops have been strengthening defensive positions on the eastern bank of the Dnieper – ie, at those points where the 40,000 soldiers from the city of Kherson also want to withdraw.
Satellite images shared on Twitter also show Russian troops trying to build a defense line around Kherson. The Swiss Benjamin Pittet (22) also shares the structure of these ditches and obstacles around the city. According to his analysis, there are three Russian defense lines in and around the city – even on the Black Sea coast, front lines are being consolidated.
As the right bank of the Dnieper returns city by city under the Ukrainian flag and Ukrainian troops advance further and further towards the city, Russian units are preparing to remain on the east bank – a complete loss of the region would be deadly. to be. The Kherson region is the last significant part of the “land bridge” from mainland Russia to Crimea, which Putin has longed for since the illegal annexation of the peninsula in 2014, according to the Washington Post.
On Thursday, new satellite images show that trenches are already being dug in Crimea. “Russia has repaired the trenches at the Chonhar checkpoint between Crimea and Kherson oblast. New trenches are also being dug,” says Pittet. New trenches are also being dug on the northwest side of the peninsula.
Will Russia return to Kherson?
“If Russia can withdraw its units without major losses, it will likely be in a stronger position to maintain its existing front lines as it can more easily shift those withdrawals to hold on to Donbass and Zaporizhzhya,” said Rob Lee, a senior staff at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Policy Research Institute, on The Guardian. “Therefore, the way the withdrawal is carried out is crucial.”
Leonid Slutsky (54), a deputy of the State Duma, also announced on Telegram on Thursday: “We are returning to Kherson.” An ambitious statement – because it will be difficult to recapture the city, especially since it is hardly possible to cross the Dnieper – the Ukrainian river is too wide and too cold. For this reason, the withdrawal of the Russians will also be difficult. Plus, there can always be delayed fights, ETH security analyst Niklas Masuhr (29) explains to Blick.
But Ukrainians also have a problem on the banks of the Dnieper because burying Russian artillery would make life difficult for them, the expert said. “The focus of future Ukrainian counter-offensives would then be more likely along the Zaporizhzhya-Melitopol axis.” So Russia seems to want to “freeze” the front – and use the natural protective wall formed by the Dnieper.