Day 261 Roundup: Ukraine Reclaims Dozens of Towns in Kherson Following Russian Withdrawal
Facts
- Ukraine has reclaimed dozens of towns and settlements in the southern Kherson region following the withdrawal of Russian troops from the west bank of the Dnipro River.
- Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy said as many as 41 towns and settlements had been recaptured, but the figure couldn't be independently confirmed. He said: "Today we have good news from the south. There are now dozens of Ukrainian flags flying where they rightfully belong as a result of the ongoing defensive operation. 41 towns and villages have been liberated."
- Analysis from military think tank the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said of the situation in Kherson: "Russian forces so far appear to be withdrawing in relatively good order, and Ukrainian forces are making expected gains without routing Russian forces, as they did in the Kharkiv counteroffensive."
- ISW added that it will take some time for a complete Russian withdrawal from the region and that it still expects to see some fighting in the area, namely around previously prepared defensive lines near Kherson city. Meanwhile, images circulated on social media showed that Russian forces appeared to have destroyed the Antonovsky Bridge — the primary route from Kherson to the east bank of the Dnipro.
- In the neighboring region of Mykolaiv, a Russian missile hit a residential building, killing at least six civilians according to local officials. A Russian strike also targeted the region of Vinnytsia, reportedly striking a "critical infrastructure facility" with no reports of civilian casualties. Two civilians were killed and five more were injured in Russian attacks on Donetsk in the last 24 hours, Ukrainian officials added.
- Elsewhere, Andrii Boiko, a Ukrainian in Russia's government of the Zaporizhzhia region, was the target of an assassination attempt in the city of Melitopol on Friday, according to exiled Ukrainian mayor of the city Ivan Fedorov. Boiko sustained minor injuries following the blast outside his house. He was subsequently taken to hospital but, according to Russian-appointed officials, his condition is non life-threatening.
Sources: Pravda, Understanding War, and odessa-journal.
Narratives
- Narrative A, as provided by Vox. Ukraine is demonstrating that, with continued Western military aid, it is able to drive Russian forces out of its territories. This bolsters the argument that support needs to be maintained until a total Russian defeat is achieved.
- Narrative B, as provided by Newsweek. Retaking parts of Kherson is one thing, recapturing the rest of the region alongside Luhansk, Donetsk and Crimea is another. Ukraine's gains should be used to leverage Kyiv's negotiating position to bring a swift end to this conflict — it should not be treated as a justification to drag out the war.