The Russian army said Friday morning it had completed its withdrawal from the Kherson region of northern Ukraine. The soldiers also probably collapsed a strategically important bridge. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian army seemed to be advancing inexorably. In the area around the city in southern Ukraine, 41 cities have already been liberated, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
At 5 a.m. local time (4 a.m. CET) “the transfer of Russian soldiers to the left bank of the Dnipro River was completed,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement published online. “Not a single military material and not a single weapon” was left on the other side of the river, it said.
As reported by the Ukrainian governor of the Mykolaiv region, Vitaly Kim, Chornobaivka, a suburb right on the Kherson city limits, is already under Ukrainian control. He did not give more details at first. “We are silent because this is all a matter for the military.”
Only road bridge collapsed
Part of the Antonivka Bridge, the only road bridge across the Dnipro to the Russian-controlled eastern bank of the river, has collapsed near Kherson, photos and videos show. Further details are still open. The next vehicular river crossing is the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station, 70 kilometers away, which is still under Russian control and was also shelled on Thursday.
Troops left chaos behind
According to media reports, Russian troops destroyed the city in southern Ukraine as they left Kherson. In addition to the television center, district heating systems and transmission towers were blown up, Ukrajinska Pravda reported on Thursday. In addition, the electricity in the city was completely out, as was the internet. Several bridges over the Dnipro had been blown up in recent days.
Selenskyj warns of dangers
Selenskyj warned of dangers in the areas specified by the occupiers. “The first and fundamental task is demining,” he said. The occupiers left behind thousands of duds and ammunition. “I’ve often heard estimates that Russian mine clearance in Ukraine will take decades.”
The head of state of Ukraine pointed out that the current performance of the Ukrainian armed forces has been achieved “through months of brutal fighting”. “It is not the enemy that is leaving – it is the Ukrainians who are driving out the occupiers,” Zelenskyy said. “And we must go to great lengths – on the battlefield and in diplomacy – so that our flags – Ukrainian flags – can be seen all over our country, along our entire internationally recognized border. And no more hostile tricolors.”
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
