The Ukrainian Military Calls Russia Pull Troops From Opposite Kherson City

Illustration of the Russian army in Ukraine. (Wikimedia Commons/Mil.ru)

JAKARTA - The Ukrainian military on Thursday said Russia had withdrawn several troops from cities across the banks of the Dnipro River from the city of Kherson, Ukraine's first official report on Russia's withdrawal in what is now the main frontline in the south.

The statement provided only limited details and did not mention Ukrainian troops crossing Dnipro. Since Russia left Kherson, nine months after its invasion of Ukraine, the river has now formed the entire southern front.

Russia has ordered civilians to leave cities within 15 km of the river, withdrawing its civilian rule from the city of Nova Kakhovka by the river.

"The decline in the number of Russian troops and military equipment was seen in the Oleshky settlement," the military said, referring to the city across the city of Kherson, at the end of the bridge that was destroyed over Dnipro.

"The troops were pulled from certain settlements in the Kherson region and "distributed on the forest route," he added. Reuters could not independently confirm the report.

Meanwhile, Russian rockets continued to hit the environment in Kherson, turning off power in the city which had only begun to recover nearly three weeks after Russian troops vacated the city and fled across the river.

Several residents were taken to hospital for injuries from the shooting on Thursday, while soldiers patrolled and checked for damage to residential buildings.

The war has entered a new phase non-stop with the start of the first winter since the Russian invasion on February 24.

After withdrawing south in November, Moscow focused its weapons on the frontline in the east near the city of Bakhmut, where hundreds of soldiers are estimated to be killed daily in fighting in cold, muddy ditches, with little benefit from the areas reported on either side.

Ukrainian armed forces reported massive shootings of several frontline villages in the area.

Separately, airstrike sirens erupted across Ukraine on Thursday afternoon and residents took refuge for fear of the next wave of massive missile and drone attacks nearly every week by Russian forces. However, there were no reports of a massive missile strike and the warning was lifted.

It is known, since early October, Russia has used attacks to curb electricity, water and heat supply in Ukrainian cities, which Kyiv and the West say are meant to hurt civilians.

Last week's major attack paralyzed the heat and electricity of millions of people. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has warned Ukrainians to anticipate another wave of attacks.

Yesterday, Mayor Kyiv Vitaliy Klitschko told residents to store water, food and warm clothes in the event of a total power outage, suggesting people consider staying with friends on the outskirts if they can.