While Ukrainian soldiers are on the verge of Kherson, Moscow's troops are trying to destroy important infrastructure in the city. Meanwhile, Kremlin chief Putin announces tighter controls on army spending. Washington wants to supply Ukraine with more weapons. The 260th day of the war at a glance.
Selenskyj adviser fears minefield in Kherson
According to Moscow, it has begun withdrawing its troops from the southern Ukrainian city of Cherson. In Kyiv, there are fears that Russia wants to turn the city into a death zone. "Russian armed forces want to turn Kherson into a 'city of death'," Presidential Advisor Mykhailo Podolyak wrote on Twitter. "The Russian military mines everything it can: homes and sewers. The artillery on the left bank plans to turn the city into ruins. This is what the 'Russian world' looks like: they came, robbed, celebrated, killed 'witnesses', left ruins and left."
Media reports that Russian troops are already wreaking havoc in Cherson agree with Podolyak's assessment. In addition to the television center, district heating systems and radio masts, among other things, were blown up, Ukrajinska Pravda reported. In addition, the electricity in the city had failed completely, as had the Internet. Several bridges over the Dnipro had already been blown up in the past few days.
Ukraine reports land gains
Meanwhile, according to their own account, Ukrainian soldiers have already moved into the first suburb of Cherson. As reported by the Ukrainian governor of the Mykolaiv region, Vitaly Kim, the town of Chornobaivka is already under Ukrainian control. He did not want to give any further details. "We remain silent because all of this is a matter for the military." The General Staff of Ukraine said the Russian military was slowly withdrawing to strengthen its defenses on the left bank of the Dnipro.
Previously, it was said that Ukrainian troops had advanced about seven kilometers on two sectors in Kherson and Mykolaiv. About 264 square kilometers and twelve towns were recaptured, said the supreme commander of the armed forces, Valeriy Saluschnyj, on Telegram. Pictures from the small town of Snihurivka in the Mykolaiv region were circulated in the morning. Since the beginning of October, the Ukrainian units in the Cherson region have advanced up to 36 kilometers and have liberated 1,381 square kilometers and 41 settlements, it said.
Kadyrov praises Russian withdrawal
Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov welcomed Moscow's decision to withdraw from Kherson. General Sergey Surovikin made the right decision and "rescued a thousand soldiers from a virtual encirclement," Kadyrov wrote on Telegram. Surovikin put his soldiers in a more strategic position. However, Kadyrov was also critical and asked why this step had only now taken place.
"Everyone knew that Kherson was a difficult battlefield from the first days of the special operation. The soldiers of my units also reported that it was very difficult to fight in this area," Kadyrov wrote. "Yes, it can be held, some ammunition can be brought in, but the cost will be many lives."
Putin wants more control over army equipment
In the face of numerous reports of Russian soldiers being inadequately equipped, Russian President Vladimir Putin wants to tighten controls on the flow of funds for army spending. According to a list of tasks, the government must present proposals for better spending control and the targeted use of budgetary funds by tomorrow. In order to improve the quality of the equipment, a kind of direct line is to be established between the units deployed in Ukraine and the manufacturers of armaments. This is apparently also intended to prevent corruption and the misappropriation of budgetary funds.
Kyiv will probably not get any "Gray Eagle" drones
According to the US government, it is not putting any pressure on Ukraine with regard to possible negotiations with Russia. "We don't insist on certain things, we advise as partners," said national security adviser Jake Sullivan in the White House. Sullivan also announced $400 million in new military aid. The new package also includes four Avenger air defense systems and Stinger missiles, as well as rockets for "Hawk" air defense systems, Pentagon deputy spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said.
However, Ukraine apparently has to do without "Gray Eagle" drones. Kyiv had been negotiating long-range drones with Washington for months. As the "Wall Street Journal" now claims to have learned from insiders, there are concerns in the Biden government that the drones could escalate the war because, with a range of 400 kilometers, they could potentially reach targets in Russia. In addition, there are fears that the technology of the drones could be stolen during an operation.
EU does not recognize Russian passports from occupied territories
The EU will not recognize Russian passports from the occupied territories of Ukraine. Negotiators from the EU states and the European Parliament agreed on this in Brussels. The same should apply to travel documents that were issued in the breakaway republics of South Ossetia and Abkhazia in Georgia, as the Council of the EU states announced.
In September, Russia declared the Zaporizhia region, together with the Cherson, Donetsk and Luhansk regions, to be annexed following sham referendums. As a result, the EU Commission proposed not to recognize passports issued there. The authority made it clear at the time that almost all member states were already doing so.
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