Russia Says They Have Left Kherson
According to The Hill, the Russian Defense Ministry announced Friday that they had completed their withdrawal of forces from Kherson, Ukraine. In a report available on their Telegram page, the Ministry wrote, “In Kherson direction, today, at 05.00 am (Moscow time), units of the Russian forces finished their redeployment to the left bank of Dnepr river.” You have to admire their wordsmithing; they didn’t withdraw, per se; they simply deployed elsewhere.
When I was a young cadet, cadre taught us that we (US forces) never retreat, but sometimes we have to conduct “retrograde operations.” Regardless of what you call it, the Russians left the area, which is seen by many as a victory for Ukrainian forces, who are slowly taking back their nation.
Geographical Significance
Kherson Oblast is significant because it is a physical link to the Russian-occupied Crimean peninsula. Kherson City is the only regional Ukrainian Russian forces have been able to capture. Being forced to leave the region has widely been described in the press as “humiliating” to President Putin, as it is yet another sign that his “special military operation” is falling apart. Still, Ukrainian forces remain vigilant, keeping in mind the retreat could possibly be a tactic to force them to fight in another area.
Mr. George Beebe, Director of Grand Strategy at the Quincy Institute, was recently interviewed by CBS News. He is the author of the depressing yet realistically titled book, “The Russia Trap: How our Shadow War with Russia Could Spiral Into Nuclear Catastrophe.” Bebe was asked about the geographical importance of Kherson.