In Cherson, the air is getting thinner and thinner for the Russians. The occupiers announce that the evacuation measures must be completed today. Meanwhile, US experts fear that Moscow's troops may blow up the dam east of the city. Meanwhile, the government in London is considering supplying battle tanks to Ukraine. The 241st day of the war at a glance
Cherson occupiers call for immediate flight
In view of the fighting in the Ukrainian region of Cherson, the Russian occupiers have ordered an immediate evacuation of the regional capital of the same name. The occupation administration ordered on Telegram that the civilian population and civil administration must still leave the urban area west of the Dnieper and go to the areas east of the river. "Due to the tense situation at the front, the increased risk of massive shelling of the city and the threat of terrorist attacks, all civilians must leave the city immediately," the statement said.
As reported by the portal "Kyiv Independent", citing the Ukrainian General Staff, the troops of Kiev liberated the settlements of Kharivne and Chkalove in the Kherson region. In addition, the General Staff reported that looting and robberies by Moscow's soldiers had become more frequent. Kherson is the largest Ukrainian city held by Russian troops since February's invasion. A battle for the urban area could be one of the most difficult since the beginning of the war.
US institute expects dam to be blown up
According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), Russian forces are likely to try to blow up the dam at the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station in the Kherson region. That way they could cover their retreat and prevent Ukrainian forces from pursuing them. According to the institute, the Kremlin will then almost certainly blame Ukraine for the destruction of the dam - which, however, appears to be counterintuitive.
"Ukraine has no material interest in blowing up the dam, which could flood 80 Ukrainian cities and displace hundreds of thousands of people while damaging Ukraine's already weak electricity supply," the institute wrote. "Russia, on the other hand, has every reason to try to cover its retreating troops and to widen the Dnipro River, which Ukrainian troops would have to cross to continue their counter-offensive."
London can imagine delivery of main battle tanks
The British government does not rule out the delivery of Western main battle tanks to Ukraine. "There may come a time when we do that," UK Secretary of State for Europe Leo Docherty told Funke media group newspapers. "What Ukraine needs in the short and medium term is a fully modernized military. I see very intensive and long-term defense cooperation between the US and Europe and Ukraine in the future." Chancellor Olaf Scholz has so far refused to supply battle tanks like the "Leopard"-2 to Kyiv, pointing out that Germany is "not going it alone".
Moscow reports defensive successes
Meanwhile, Russia says it has repelled Ukrainian attacks in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions in the east and in Kherson in the south. Russian forces thwarted attempts by Ukrainian units to break through the defense line in Cherson near the villages of Piatychatky, Suhanowe, Zablukivka and Besvodne. In Kharkiv, the Russian air force also hit a factory that produces parts for Ukrainian anti-ship missiles, the Interfax news agency quoted the Defense Ministry in Moscow as saying.
More airstrikes on infrastructure
According to Ukrainian information, Russia attacked critical infrastructure again during the course of the day. In this context, the government in Kyiv warned of a humanitarian catastrophe. "The aggressor does not stop terrorizing our country," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in Kyiv.
According to the presidential administration, around 1.5 million customers of the energy supplier Ukrenerho were without electricity in the country. Zelenskyi's adviser Mykhailo Podoliak said Russia was trying to push Ukrainians into a new mass flight to Europe. "The only way to stop a humanitarian catastrophe is to quickly deliver anti-aircraft systems and additional missiles," Podoliak said.
Schmyhal asks Germany for air defense
Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal also renewed Ukraine's request for anti-aircraft weapons. Germany has supplied the IRIS-T system, which has saved "a great many lives," particularly in the Kyiv area, Schmyhal told the "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung". Ukraine is impatiently waiting for the next delivery of ammunition and the next system. "It's literally a matter of days. The Russians use 20 to 30 Iranian kamikaze drones against us every day." Ukraine therefore also needs special means of defense, such as jammers.
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