Ukraine and Russia are preparing for the “heaviest fighting” in Kherson since the start of the war as the Kremlin prepares to defend the largest city under its control from a counterattack by Ukrainian forces, Zelensky’s adviser Oleksiy Aristovich said, noting there were no signs that Russian troops were preparing to leave the strategic area. located in the south of the country.
A senior Ukrainian official has warned that the Russian military is preparing for “heavy fighting” in Kherson as the Kremlin prepares to defend its largest city under its control from a Kyiv counterattack.
Over the past few weeks, Russian troops have retreated into a strategic area in southern Ukraine, in danger of being trapped on the western bank of the Dnieper.
Kherson, the capital of the region that bears his name and which had about 280,000 people before the war, is the largest urban center still held by Russia since it was captured at the start of the invasion of Ukraine eight months ago.
Russian-appointed authorities are working to evacuate residents to the eastern shore, but Oleksiy Aristovich, an adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, said there was no sign that Russian troops were preparing to leave the city.
“Everything is clear with Kherson,” he said in a video posted online on Tuesday evening. The Russians are strengthening their ranks there.”
“That means no one is going to leave,” he added. On the contrary, Kherson will witness the fiercest battles.”
Ukrainian forces do not appear to have regained much territory in Kherson since their counterattack since early October, when Russia announced that it had annexed the territory and three other regions, in what was condemned by 143 nations at the UN as “an illegal attempt at annexation.” .
Of the four regions annexed by Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Kherson region is arguably the most strategically important.
It controls both the only land route to Crimea, which Russia seized in 2014, and the vast mouth of the Dnieper that bisects Ukraine.
In turn, the Russian Defense Ministry yesterday announced the destruction of fuel depots in Dnepropetrovsk, the downing of several drones and the neutralization of hundreds of military personnel.
During the briefing, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said that the Russian army had destroyed a communications center for Ukrainian forces in the Kharkiv region and an oil storage facility near Dnepropetrovsk to supply the Ukrainian armed forces in Donbas.
Konashenkov added that “a communication center of a group of Ukrainian troops was destroyed in the area of the settlement of Prikolotnaya, Kharkiv region,” stressing that Russian air defense systems shot down 10 Ukrainian drones and 13 KHIMARS missiles over the past day.
Russian Defense Minister discusses situation with Chinese counterpart
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said yesterday that he had discussed the situation in Ukraine with his Chinese counterpart Wei Fengyi, speaking out against Moscow’s concerns about Kyiv’s use of a “dirty bomb”.
The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement: “On October 26, talks were held via video link between Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chinese Defense Minister General Wei Fengyi.
The ministry said that the situation in Ukraine was touched upon, where general issues and the situation in Ukraine were discussed, and General Shoigu expressed concern to his Chinese colleague about possible provocations by Ukraine using a “dirty bomb”.
Biden and Sunak agreed to support Ukraine
US President Joe Biden and new British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak agreed in a telephone conversation yesterday to work together to support Ukraine and counter China, the White House said.
The two leaders spoke for the first time hours after Sunak took office as Britain’s third prime minister this year, succeeding Liz Truss, who was ousted by the economic crisis just 49 days after taking office.
The White House statement said the two leaders reaffirmed the “special relationship” that exists between the United States and Britain and their determination to work together for global security and prosperity.
