The statement of the recently appointed commander of the Russian forces fighting in Ukraine, Russian General Serhiy Surovikin, that “difficult decisions” are not excluded regarding Kherson, was perceived by many as preparation for withdrawal from Southern Ukraine and the entire Right Bank of the Dnieper, while others saw it as determination to defend the right bank to the end, notes the Russian Air Force Service.

In the first public statement of the new commander of the Russian troops, General Serhii Surovykin, he stated that the actions of the Russian troops in Kherson will depend on the military-tactical situation, which is “already very difficult.”

General Armageddon claims that the current situation in the city, which has been occupied since March 2, is dangerous for the civilian population, stating that HIMARS missiles damaged the Antoniv bridge and the dam of the Kakhovskaya HPP, stopped traffic, made it difficult to deliver food, and there are problems with water and electricity.

“In any case, we will proceed from the fact that it is necessary to preserve the lives of our civilians and military personnel as much as possible. We will act deliberately and in a timely manner, not excluding difficult decisions,” the general said.

The commander’s first televised interview could mean failure

Because of General Surovikin’s first televised intervention, he is actually preparing Russian public opinion for the surrender of Kherson, believes one of the most famous journalists of the Bellingcat investigative site, Kristo Grozev.

Among the reasons cited by Putin’s newly appointed general, “Kyiv can use prohibited weapons, we cannot afford to endanger this population… difficult decisions must be made,” Grozev believes.

In turn, the head of the administration introduced by Russia in the Kherson region, Volodymyr Saldo, announced the evacuation of the population from the right bank of the Dnieper in connection with the upcoming large-scale offensive of the Ukrainian armed forces. led to the destruction of the Kakhovskaya HPP dam and the flooding of a large area of ​​the district.

About 60,000 residents of the Kherson region will be “relocated” to the left bank of the Dnieper, which will take about six days, Saldo claims.

At the beginning of October, Ukrainian troops broke through the Russian defenses on the right bank of the Dnieper and began an offensive in the direction of Berislav and the Kakhovskaya HPP.

Thus, the fear of the Russian troops stationed in Kherson, to be encircled, became real.

The flat and almost treeless terrain is difficult to defend and attack, but if a mistake in attack leads only to casualties, a mistake in defense can turn into a disaster, since Russia does not want to lose Kherson, the only regional center of Ukraine that Russia managed to capture since the beginning of the invasion.

Movement of Ukraine in Kherson

The Ukrainian military tried to block Russian supply lines to Kherson by destroying two major road bridges across the Dnipro, while Kyiv blocked news in the south of the country, leading to speculation that it was preparing another major offensive on Kherson, The Guardian noted.

“When Ukrainians don’t give news, it means something is happening. They’ve always done it before when there’s a big offensive,” Michael Clarke, former director-general of the Royal Combined Services Institute, told Sky News.

“I suspect that in the next 48 to 72 hours they will be able to tell us what’s going on,” Michael Clarke added.

It is quite clear that Surovikin was the Russian commander who earlier tried to leave Kherson (this was his area of ​​responsibility). His election as commander-in-chief probably indicates that Putin will interfere less in military decision-making.

And the correspondent of The Wall Street Journal in Ukraine, Matthew Luxmoor, believes that General Armageddon’s speech indicates that the Russians will retreat from Kherson, which will lead to a great victory for Kyiv.

What Russian bloggers think about General Surovikin’s speech

General Surovikin, who was appointed commander of Russian forces in Ukraine on October 8, became the first Russian military commander whom the authorities decided to show on television after the invasion began.

In the televised speech, General Armageddon’s speech seemed pre-arranged, he did not look at the camera and did not read what had already been written, without resorting to impromptu.

At the beginning of the interview, the new commander was already familiar with the Kremlin’s rhetoric: “the enemy has a criminal regime that pushes Ukrainian citizens to their deaths”, “the Ukrainian authorities use blockade troops made up of nationalists who shoot everyone who tries to leave.” battlefield” or “no, we strive for high rates of advancement, we spare every soldier.”

But the general continued his intervention, speaking openly about the situation in Kherson, which he described as “very difficult”, while nationalist Russian bloggers appeared to be angry, commenting that “all is lost, the war is lost”.

While some pro-Kremlin journalists seem more optimistic, since the news came directly from the commander and not some representative of the Russian Ministry of Defense, they appreciated the general’s honesty.

And Semyon Pegov, a Russian military journalist and blogger, shared on his War Gonzo Telegram channel, praising the work of the new commander, who, according to him, is “probably one of the first generals in our recent history who practically became a national hero after with bad news.”

And other Russian bloggers perceived the general’s interview as preparation for something very serious, and not as a signal to retreat.

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