There are now 260 days of war. The conflict in Ukraine marks a turning point, which reinforces Kiev’s ambitions in the counter-offensive to the south. Russian Defense Minister Serghiei Shoigu yesterday ordered the withdrawal of troops from Kherson and their displacement to the left bank of the Dnieper River. Volodymyr Zelensky’s entourage preached caution, but if Moscow’s plan proves effective it would be a serious blow: the loss of the only regional capital conquered since the beginning of the conflict. The Ukrainian campaign to recapture Kherson, despite a slowdown in recent weeks, has produced significant results, cutting the enemy’s supply lines. This circumstance has now been admitted by the commander-in-chief of the Army troops on the ground, General Sergey Surovikin, called to report by Minister Shoigu. In this situation, Surovikin suggested moving the defense line along the left bank of the Dnieper, on the opposite side from the city of Kherson: a “very difficult decision”, but which at the same time would allow “saving the lives of the military and civilians, continuously threatened by Ukrainian missiles ». Allowing among other things to conduct “offensives in other directions”.
There is already a dark omen of the defeat on this front: the main exponent of the pro-Russian administration of Kherson, Deputy Governor Kirill Stremousov, was killed. Officially, due to a car accident in a seaside resort on the Sea of Azov, it became the new headquarters of the occupying forces after fleeing from the capital. For weeks Stremousov had become the most representative figure of the oblast, as well as being one of the most deployed officials alongside Moscow.
THE ANALYSIS Surovikin, from “Napoleon” to the grim face of defeat
Updates hour after hour
00.55 – NYT: a delegation of parliamentarians from Kiev will go to Washington
A delegation of Ukrainian parliamentarians is planning a trip to Washington in December to discuss aid against the Russian invasion and to secure a bipartisan effort to continue it after the Midterm elections. He writes it on New York Times. “We understand one thing: the danger we see from the so-called radical wings of both parties, the far-right Republicans and the far-left Democrats. They can start a debate on the blocking of aid to Ukraine, ”explained deputy Volodymyr Ariev, one of the parliamentarians promoting the trip.
00.30 – Putin will not go to the G20, Lavrov will take his place
Putin will miss the G20 summit in Indonesia. Bloomberg reports, citing some sources, according to which the Kremlin will send Foreign Minister Lavrov. According to The Kyiv Independent – which takes up what Bloomberg reports – Vladimir Putin will not participate in the next G20 summit in Indonesia because “the Kremlin aims to protect him from possible international tensions” over the war in Ukraine. For Russia – according to Bloomberg sources – there should be Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has been invited to the next G20; he could participate live online. The summit is scheduled to take place in Bali on 15 and 16 November.
Here’s what happened on Wednesday, November 9th
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