KYIV, Oct 9 (Reuters) - Ukraine has recaptured over 1,170 square kilometres (450 square miles) of land in its southern Kherson region since launching the start of its counter-assault against. He stated that a humanitarian aid centre would be opened in Kherson. [78] A day earlier, Khlan stated that Ukrainian forces had retaken several villages in Kherson Oblast, but that the Ukrainian authorities requested civilians not to publish information on the progress of the campaign prior to official statements. That left the Kharkiv region wide open for the taking, which is what happened two and a half weeks ago. [106] An NPR journalist in the area confirmed the increased intensity of combat and that more Ukrainian forces were moving to the frontline. The battle for the south is a lot different from Ukraines lightning offensive in the northeast, where the Russian troops were clearly not prepared. A Lancet-2 loitering munition struck a pair of valuable Ukrainian S-300 SAM launchers far behind the frontline, despite an attempt by an unknown man-portable air defense system (MANPADS) to intercept it. Russia has become desperate for functional armor. [167], On 13 November, the administration of the Kherson Oblast called on Kherson residents and residents of other recently liberated areas on the right bank of the Dnieper to evacuate to safer parts of the country due to fears that Russian forces could "begin fighting against the civilian population". When you give the coordinates, its supposed to be accurate, but its not, he said, noting that his equipment dated back to 1989. This model is also sporting an Italian MG42/59 buzzsaw chambered in 7.62x51mm NATO. Its terrible.. She said that of the hundreds of battlefield casualties she has treated, she has not seen a single gunshot wound. Volunteers brought toiletries, including toothbrushes and deodorant, and bags of new clothes for the soldiers to wear after physicians used scissors to cut through their shirts and pants to expose their wounds. [42] A referendum was reportedly planned by Russian occupation authorities in the region for late 2022 to annex Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, while the occupied parts of the Mykolaiv Oblast would be included in the Kherson MSA,[43] but officials soon moved the date forwards to autumn[44][45] amid fears of being set back by the Ukrainian Army, according to U.K. intelligence officials. [44], On 11 November, Ukraine recaptured the city. Oleksandr, a 28-year-old former construction worker, lost his arm in a mortar blast during the counteroffensive last week. The effort to retake Kherson is Ukraine's first major counter-offensive against Russia. "[7] By the evening of 24 February, Russian forces reached the city of Kherson and had secured the Antonovskiy Bridge,[8][9] which provides a strategic crossing over the Dnieper River and towards the important junction city of Mykolaiv. [80] Ukrainian troops struck Nova Kakhovka, a Russian command post in Kherson city, with HIMARS missiles, and claimed it killed 12 officers and a Russian major general. [27] Later in the morning, Russian forces were seen at Svobody Square in central Kherson, where the Kherson Regional Administration building is located. The soldiers were interviewed on gurneys and in wheelchairs as they recovered from injuries sustained in the offensive. ", "Kherson region to integrate into Russia's system of education regional authorities", "How Russia Took Over Ukraine's Internet in Occupied Territories", "Russia hands out passports in occupied Ukraine cities", "The Russian Occupation of Ukraine's Southern Regions", "Ukraine latest updates: 600 Ukrainians held captive in Kherson", "ACLED Regional Overview Europe, Caucasus, and Central Asia (4 10 June 2022) Ukraine | ReliefWeb", "A creeping annexation. August 12, 2022 at 2:00 a.m. EDT. Now no one is left. Russian tanks emerged from newly built cement fortifications to blast infantry with large-caliber artillery, the wounded Ukrainian soldiers said. [165] On the same day, the Russian occupation authorities announced that they were preparing to leave the town of Nova Kakhovka, located on the east bank of the Dnieper River. [97], On August 23, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that Russian forces had advanced northwest of Aleksandrovka, approximately 38km west of the city of Kherson, and had reached the administrative border of Kherson-Mykolaiv Oblast. The smell of dried sunflowers lingers in the air. He also said that bodies were being buried in mass graves, and that many remains were unrecognizable. . Despite the challenges, Ihor said he is eager to return to the front line as soon as he heals. On 9 December, some Ukrainian officials, such as presidential advisor Oleksii Arestovych and Lieutenant Colonel Konstiantyn Mashovets, as well as some unofficial Russian sources, claimed that Russian forces, specifically the 80th Arctic Motor Rifle Brigade, 25th Spetsnaz Regiment, and 4th BARS Special Combat Army Reserve, had re-occupied the island following a successful amphibious operation. Weeks before the counteroffensive began, Ukrainian troops, including a sniper known as Pirate, started eyeing targets. [137], By 3 October, the Russian army was being enveloped in Northern Kherson, with Ukrainian troops trying to reach Beryslav. The Ukrainians have recaptured only a few hundred square miles in the south; in the northeast, they recaptured 10 times that in just a few days. [51], On 18 April, Russian, DPR, and LPR forces launched the Battle of Donbas, requiring some of their forces to be transferred to the east. [143] Novovasylivka, Novohryhorivka, Nova Kamyanka, Tryfonivka and Chervone in the Beryslav Raion were officially under the control of Ukrainian forces as late as 12 October. Alex McBride for Rolling Stone. [91][94] However, Al Jazeera argued that both sides had seemingly fought each other to a standstill, with a major Ukrainian offensive not materializing. Russias "partial" mobilization is still looking rather pear-shaped, with personnel problems and few gains on the battlefield despite the unrest it created across the country. Ukrainian authorities released a photo showing the raising of the Ukrainian flag in Vysokopillia by Ukrainian forces. Russia stated that babies born in Kherson Oblast would automatically receive Russian citizenship, implying that Kherson was a part of the Russian Federation. Ukrainian Presidential Advisor Oleksiy Arestovych cautioned that the offensive was going to be a "slow operation to grind the enemy", not a quick and massive campaign. ET. [117][118] On 3 September, the British Ministry of Defence said that Ukrainian forces had made three main lines of attack in Kherson Oblast, and had a military advantage of tactical surprise as a result of Russian commanders' mistakes and Russian logistical problems. [79], In early July, the Ukrainian army engaged in minor skirmishes with Russian forces. A local official said Ukrainian and Russian forces were still battling for control. [46], For the Ukrainian recapture of Kherson, see, Ukrainian forces resumed control of the area, "First Ukraine City Falls as Russia Strikes More Civilian Targets", "Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, February 25, 2022", "Proud Band of Ukrainian Troops Holds Russian Assault at Bay for Now", "Ukraine loses control over crossing to Kherson", "How Russia's humiliating defeat in Kherson came to be", "Most Problematic Situation In South, Fierce Battles Taking Place Near Kherson Zelenskyy", "Russia Batters Ukraine With Artillery Strikes as West Condemns Invasion", "Battle rages for strategic bridge in southern Ukraine after days of fighting", " , ", " : ", "Russian troops moving towards town of Nova Kakhovka in Kherson Oblast", "Soldiers Raise the Russian Flag Over Ukraine Power Plant", " : , , | ", "Column of Russian occupiers defeated in Kherson region Interior Ministry", "Journalist shot dead by Russian occupiers in Kherson Region", "Russia claims to have besieged Ukraine's Kherson, Berdyansk", "Russian forces advance on Kyiv: fighting on fourth day of invasion", "Russia says it "blocks" Ukraine's Kherson, Berdyansk RIA", "Ukraine's Air Force claims successful drone strike on Russian forces near Kherson", "Russian invaders plan to use Kherson residents as human shield", "Russian military vehicles seen across Kherson after heavy shelling", " : . Ihor had no military experience before Russias invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24. As in the battle for Kyiv, Ukraines success is hardly assured and the soldiers accounts signaled that a long fight, and many more casualties, lie ahead. March 15, 2023, 3:00 p.m. The interviews provided some of the first direct accounts of a push to retake captured territory that is so sensitive, Ukrainian military commanders have barred reporters from visiting the front lines. We can have this outlook because were Ukrainians, he said. where a Ukrainian offensive in Kherson presented a threat. [46][citation needed] These referendums were held from 2327 September,[47] with Russia officially annexing Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson Oblasts about a week later on 5 October. Summary of Arestovych and Feygin daily broadcast", "Ukraine launches long-awaited counteroffensive to retake Russian-occupied Kherson", "Russia-Ukraine war live: Russian defence minister sidelined by Putin and 'ridiculed' for 'ineffectual' leadership, says UK", "Ukraine says it recaptured 1,200 sq km of Kherson region in ongoing counteroffensive", "Russia abandons Ukrainian city of Kherson in major retreat", "Shots Fired In Ukrainian City As Locals Protest Against Russian Occupation", "Ukrainians question the ease of Russian capture of Kherson", "Russia's Road to Odesa Runs Through Mykolaiv", "Ukraine's Mykolaiv holds the line against Russian forces and delays assault on Odessa", "What happened at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant and what are the implications? You understand, if you dont do it, they will do it.. Theres nothing we can do about it, Pinochet said. The . [52] The Ukrainian military took advantage[53] with attacks in the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, forcing Russian troops out or several fortified positions south of the Inhulets river. Ukraine has had concerns about Belarus' formal entry into the war since Russia staged its multi-pronged invasion from the country in February. They also say that is precisely the plan. The flurry of action at the hospitals made clear the soldiers werent in the fight alone. [34] Ukrainians in Kherson also "questioned the Pentagons assessment, saying that the city remained in Russian hands". Its difficult to process the level of damage wrought to men, machine, and earth in months (or even years) of attacks, evoking the horrors of trench warfare in World War I. Kyiv is hoping that the Kherson counteroffensive will boost national morale and demonstrate to Western governments that their billions of dollars in economic and military assistance are paying off, even as sanctions against Russia have raised energy prices and inflation and heightened fears of an even more expensive winter. If Ukraine manages to take Kherson, it will be a "huge loss for the Russians because that region is needed to protect the Crimean Peninsula that Russia annexed back in 2014," Abdel-Hamid said. [119][120] On the same day, Russian milbloggers claimed that Ukrainian troops had captured Blahodativka village and withdrawn from a few positions near Sukhyi Stavok. Ukraine wants to show progress on the battlefield. The Russian Ministry of Defense reported two gunmen "from CIS country" were killed in the attack, with 11 servicemen dead and 15 more wounded. [150] That same day, unconfirmed reports emerged of Mylove being captured by Ukraine. 6 min read. 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