UPDATE (11/11/22 2:00pm):
Russia says they have completed the withdrawal from Kherson.
Ukraine’s defense minister said Thursday that Russia will need at least a week to withdraw from the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson and remove all of its forces from the west bank of the Dnieper River.
“It’s not that easy to withdraw these troops from Kherson in one day or two days. As a minimum, [it will take] one week,” Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told Reuters.
Reports on Thursday said that Russia began withdrawing from some areas in the Kherson Oblast as Ukrainian forces were taking control of villages in the region. Reznikov said there were still Russian troops in and around the city of Kherson, which will likely be the last area that Russia withdraws from.
The Ukrainian defense chief said he expects fighting will slow in the winter. “The winter will slow down every activity on the battlefield for all sides … It’s beneficial for all sides. You will have a rest,” he said. “We will use this time with a maximum result for our armed forces, for regrouping, for refreshing, and for rotation and we will prepare them well.”
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, the highest ranking US military officer, said Wednesday that a winter slowdown in fighting could provide an opportunity for peace talks between Ukraine and Russia. The Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported this week that the US and NATO might think peace talks are possible if Ukraine retakes Kherson.
While there may be a slowdown in fighting, Russia could also be preparing for a major offensive as it has been reinforcing other positions after mobilizing 300,000 fresh troops. But Russia has also maintained that it’s open to negotiations.
The retreat from the west bank of the Dnieper marks the most significant Russian withdrawal since the war began on February 24, as it came after Moscow declared it had annexed the area. Russia had been evacuating civilians for weeks before announcing the withdrawal on Wednesday, and there were signs that troops would also be pulled out.
