russian authorities are seriously considering withdrawal of their military from the lodgement created to the west of the Dnipro river in southern Ukraine, suggests the British Ministry of Defense in a regular intelligence report.
The assessment is based on the fact that pro-russian "governors" initiated evacuation measures in the Kherson region and on recent statements of Gen. Sergei Surovikin previously appointed as commander of russian forces in Ukraine: he said the population of russia should be ready for some "difficult decisions" about Ukraine's major city of Kherson, currently controlled by the invaders.
Read more: Dictator of russia Introduces Martial Law in Temporarily Occupied Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia Regions
However, a massive withdrawal would be difficult to carry out because of the damage caused by the Armed Forces of Ukraine to the bridges connecting the two banks of the river:
"A key challenge of any Russian withdrawal operation would be extracting troops and their equipment across the 1000m wide river in good order," reads the report.
"With all the permanent bridges severely damaged, Russia would highly likely rely heavily on a temporary barge bridge it completed near Kherson in recent days, and military pontoon ferry units, which continue to operate at several locations," British intelligence states.
At the same time, Ukrainian military officials claim they keep russian crossings over Dnipro under fire control. Yet, the occupiers still risk their lives to try and get to the left bank, despite Ukrainian strikes and bad weather. There’s even no talk about maintaining the right-bank group, they’re just trying to keep what is left alive, says the representative of Ukrainian defense forces in the South.
Read more: Russia’s Statements Regarding "Difficult Decisions" in Kherson, Deportation of Locals And the Threat of Blowing Up the Kakhovska HPP: the Trap Or Reality
