Ukraine has announced that it has recaptured 12 towns in Kherson and Russia has already begun withdrawing its troops.

The Ukrainian army retook 12 towns in the region on Wednesday GersonThe Russians announced their withdrawal under pressure from a counterattack in the south of the country and from Q, its commander-in-chief said on Thursday. Valery Zalushny.

“Earlier in the day, units of the security forces advanced 7 km and took control of six towns in the direction. Petropavlivka Novoreisk“, the military official described in the telegram, and the Ukrainian army “regained control of six other cities in the direction. Bervomaiske-Gerson”, which means a total of over 260 square kilometers.

“The advance of KYIV troops in the Kherson direction has reached 36.5 km since October 1,” the Ukrainian commander-in-chief said.

In total, the Ukrainian army recovered “a total of 1,381 km2” and “41 locations” in forty days, he announced, hailing the “tremendous efforts of the troops”.

ZalushniAs did the President Volodymyr Zelensky On Wednesday night, he could not confirm or deny reports that Russian forces had withdrawn from the city on Thursday. GersonRegional capital.

Still, Brigadier General Oleksii Khromov “Directly in the direction of Kherson, the Ukrainian Defense Forces destroyed the enemy’s logistics routes and support system, destroying his troop control system,” he noted.

“In this way We leave the enemy with no choice but to fly.”He added: “The withdrawal from Kherson was the result of our active operations, just as the enemy withdrew from the Kharkiv region to Kew, as from Snake Island.”

A little earlier, Ukrainian troops also announced Redemption of the city Snihurivka50 kilometers to the north Gerson, A strategic crossing of the Dnieper River and a direct highway opening to the suburbs of the regional capital.

At the same time, the Russian military announced on Wednesday that it had begun withdrawing from the region.

“Units of a group of Russian troops are maneuvering towards positions established on the left (east) bank of the river. DnieperAccording to the approved plan” earlier in the day, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Commander-in-Chief of Russian Forces in Ukraine Sergey SurovikhinHe indicated on Wednesday that the maneuver to transfer troops to the left bank would be carried out “in the short term”.

The withdrawal also includes the city of Kherson, the only regional capital to be captured by Russia since the offensive began in Ukraine in late February.

Russia affected more than 100,000 people were killed Between the dead and wounded as a result of war Ukraine And the country under attack may have counted a similar number of victims, according to the US Chief of General Staff. Mark Milley.

A senior U.S. military official presented the figures Wednesday night at an event at the New York Economic Association gathering the chain. CNN.

“You see over 100,000 Russian soldiers dead and wounded,” he said at one point in his speech. “Probably the same on the Ukrainian side,” he said.

Milley, the most senior US military official, also pointed out that Russia has 20,000 to 30,000 troops in Kherson. A full refund may take several weeks.

“Early indicators are that they’re actually doing it. They’ve made a public announcement that they will. I think they’re doing it to protect their forces to re-establish defensive lines south of the (Dnieper) river, but that remains to be seen,” he said.

Milley left open the possibility that Russia could use the withdrawal to rebuild its forces for an offensive in the spring, but said “there is also an opportunity here, a Opportunity to negotiate.

But for talks to stand a chance, Russia and Ukraine must come to a “mutual agreement,” Miley said, adding that a victory “is not possible by military means, so other means must be sought.” He gave the example of World War I.

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