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Russian Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu has ordered to start pulling out troops behind the Dnieper River.
“Start withdrawing the troops and take all measures to ensure the safe relocation of the personnel, armaments and hardware behind the Dnieper,” the defence chief said, setting the task for commander of Russia’s Integrated Group of Forces in Ukraine Sergey Surovikin.
Surovikin reported to the defence minister earlier on the situation in that area.
Defence along the Dnieper barrier frontier is the most expedient option of operations in the zone of the special military operation, Surovikin said.
“If the Kiev regime resorts to a larger water discharge from reservoirs or a more powerful rocket attack on the Kakhovka dam, this will create a flow of water flooding vast areas and causing civilian casualties. A further threat for civilians and of a complete isolation of our group of forces on the right bank of the Dnieper will emerge. Under these conditions, it is expedient to organise the defence along the barrier frontier of the Dnieper River,” the commander said.
Over 115 000 people were moved from the Kherson Region and the Russian military resorted to its utmost efforts to provide for the safest evacuation, Commander of Russia’s Integrated Group of Forces in Ukraine Army General Sergey Surovikin reported on Wednesday.
“The regional administration made a decision to evacuate people from the right-bank part of the Dnieper River to Crimea and other regions,” Surovikin reported. “As of now, all of over 115 000 people, wishing to be evacuated, abandoned this region. We did everything possible on our behalf providing for their safe evacuation.”
The general noted that possible dangerous consequences could be entailed on behalf of the enemy seeking to stage a flood bellow the permitted water level of the Kakhovka Hydropower Plant (HPP).
The Ukrainian armed forces are delivering strikes against schools, hospitals and noncombatants in Kherson evacuating to another bank of the Dnieper, Army General Sergey Surovikin reported to Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu.
“The adversary is delivering strikes against local government authorities, schools, hospitals, other socially important facilities and noncombatants evacuating to another bank of the Dnieper, and against humanitarian aid dispensing centres,” the General said.
About 80-90 percent of missiles are shot down by the Russian air defence, Surovikin said. “At the same time, up to 20 percent of them reach their targets nevertheless,” the General added.
“Comrade defence minister, after comprehensively assessing the current situation, the proposal is to assume defence along the left bank of the Dnieper River,” Surovikin pointed out.
“I understand that this is a very uneasy decision. At the same time, we will preserve, which is the most important thing, the lives of our servicemen and, as a whole, the combat capability of the group of forces, which is inexpedient to be kept in a limited area on the right bank.
In addition, this will release a part of forces and capabilities that will be involved in active operations, including for offensives in other directions in the zone of the operation,” the general reported.
Prior to that, the Russian defence chief requested Surovikin to report on the situation in the Kherson area.
After listening to the report, the defence minister agreed with the commander’s conclusions and proposals.
“For us the life and health of Russian servicemen is always a priority. We must also take into account the threat for the civilian population,” the defence chief emphasised.
Online Reporter