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Kabul: Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has ordered a withdrawal of Russian forces from the west bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson region, according to Russian state media.
“Russia Today” news channel announced that Russia has decided to withdraw its forces from the west bank of Dnipro River, including Kherson. The Russian Ministry of Defense has explained that it wants to prevent unnecessary casualties among its forces and save civilian lives.
General “Sergei Sorovikin”, the commander of Russian military operations in Ukraine, said on Wednesday, referring to Ukraine’s attacks on civilians in Kherson that “If the Kiev regime conduct a more devastating attack on the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station dam, the water overflow could inundate large areas and causing significant civilian casualties.”
Sorovikin said the withdrawal would help prevent a worst-case scenario as well as keep forces in the region.
Shoigu also ordered this Russian general to arrange the safe movement of soldiers and civilians.
Russia annexed the Kherson region last month after residents voted to secede from Ukraine and join Russia in a referendum.
“NBC” news channel also announced that the Kremlin has announced the decision to withdraw Russian forces from the city of “Kherson” in southern Ukraine.
According to this news source, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has ordered the withdrawal of troops from the Dnieper River. It is said that General Sergei Sorovikin, the commander-in-chief of Russian forces in Ukraine, has suggested that defense lines be deployed on the east bank of this river.
Kherson in southern Ukraine was one of the first regions that came under the control of Russian military forces. Russian President Vladimir Putin has previously called Russians and Ukrainians a single nation and emphasized the freedom of Russian-inhabited areas from the control of Ukrainian neo-Nazis.
The President of Russia ordered a military attack on Ukraine last March 5th. This development occurred a few days after Moscow officially recognized the independence of the republics of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the goal of his country’s military operation to “demilitarize Ukraine” and “de-Nazify” this country.
Russia has announced that Ukraine has not fulfilled its obligations under the Minsk agreements that were reached in 2014 and 2015 to resolve the existing conflicts between the separatists and Kiev.
In another development in the diplomatic field, “Maria Zakharova”, the spokesperson of the Russian Foreign Ministry, said in a press conference on Wednesday, “Russia has never refused to hold negotiations with Ukraine and is still ready to hold negotiations taking into account the facts.”
According to “Tass” news agency, she said: “We are ready to negotiate and we have never refused to do it, taking into account the facts that are emerging now.”
