Russia Changes Tactics And Builds Up Troops In The South, Ukrainian Presidential Adviser: We Cannot Liberate All Regions

Illustration of Russian troops. (Wikimedia Commons/Anton Holoborodko)

JAKARTA - Russian troops are carrying out a major redeployment of troops to three regions of southern Ukraine, in what appears to be a change of Moscow tactics, said a senior adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Russian troops have taken over Ukraine's second-largest power plant, adviser to President Oleksiy Arestovych in an interview posted on YouTube.

Russian-backed forces earlier announced the seizure of the Soviet-era Vuhlehirsk coal-fired plant in eastern Ukraine.

"They achieved a small tactical advantage, they took Vuhlehirsk," Arestovych said.

Arestovych said Russia appeared to be switching from attack to strategic defense, using tactical strikes in a bid to weaken Ukraine's offensive potential in the important eastern Donetsk industrial area.

"(This would) put us in a position where we can't liberate all of our territory and call for talks."

Ukraine has made clear its intention to retake the southern city of Kherson, which fell to Russia in the early days of the war.

Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, earlier tweeted that Russia was concentrating its "maximum number of troops" towards Kherson but gave no details.

Arestovych said Russia was also sending troops to the Melitopol and Zaporizhzhia regions in the south.

Ukraine has shelled the important bridge that straddles the Dnipro river in Kherson, closing it to traffic. Russian officials previously said they would turn to pontoon bridges and ferries to carry troops across the river.