Liberation of Kherson is Russia's greatest military defeat: Serhii Zhurets' column

The city of Kherson was liberated from Russian occupation

On November 11, the Ukrainian flag was raised in the center of Kherson. Photos and videos of Ukrainian soldiers in the streets of the city are actively shared on social networks. The General Staff has not yet commented on the situation, but Ukraine’s president said that Kherson was liberated. The Russian Ministry of Defense announced that they managed to withdraw their troops from the right bank of the Dnipro River. However, I believe that they exaggerate a little as to all troops. After all, I want to remind you that on the right bank of the Dnipro River, the Russian enemy had more than 20,000 grouping of troops. Therefore, it can be stated that part of the Russian forces was destroyed, some part remained on the right bank of the Dnipro River, and the rest really moved to the left bank of the Dnipro River. Regarding the enemy's losses in manpower and equipment, we still need to wait for information. In general, it can be stated that the Russian army demonstrated a 'gesture of goodwill' both near Kyiv, Kharkiv, Chernihiv and on Zmiinyi Island. Our success on the right bank of the Dnipro River was preceded by prolonged pressure on the enemy with the help of artillery and our ground units. All this led to the fact that the Russian troops decided to leave their positions, simultaneously blowing up the bridges that connected these sections of the front. In fact, I was very surprised by the unexpected rationality of the enemy.

Map of hostilities in the Kherson region: fighting overview, November 9-11

Public military defeat of the Russian Federation near Kherson

The expulsion of the Russian enemy from the right bank of the Dnipro River is a significant and yet another blow to the Russian and military leadership. This is a public military defeat of Russia. More resonant than the defeat of the Russian army in the Kharkiv region, given the strategic and symbolic importance of Kherson. Already now, Russia can forget about cutting off Ukraine from the Black Sea. Odesa and Mykolaiv will now feel safer.

The great victory of Ukraine in the Kherson region is not the last one 

Now the Russian forces can concentrate on maintaining the section of the front on the left bank of the Dnipro River, where earlier they had begun to prepare defense lines. The Russians will try to keep the land corridor to the temporarily occupied Crimea and prepare for the winter campaign. However, this does not mean that the enemy has become less insidious. The Russians will continue to shell our cities and infrastructure. Russia can build forces to step up around Bakhmut and occupied Donetsk, including using forces that managed to escape from the right bank of the Dnipro. Also, Russia will launch stories about readiness for negotiations. Already today, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Russia is ready for dialogue with Ukraine without preconditions. However, this is only an attempt to delay time and an attempt by political means to prevent further defeats on the front line. Negotiations are needed by Russia only for a pause in order to gather strength for further escalation. However, I think that talks about negotiations are premature. Here I really like the thesis that was accentuated by the Institute for the Study of War. The great victory of Ukraine in the Kherson region is not the last one. 

The Kherson residents meet Ukraine's Armed Forces on November 11.

The situation in the city of Kherson after the liberation. Information from Kherson journalist Volodymyr Molchanov

According to Kherson journalist Volodymyr Molchanov, the people of Kherson are currently celebrating liberation from the invading Russian forces in complete darkness. There is no electricity, gas or water supply in the city.  The journalist emphasized that a humanitarian catastrophe is ongoing in the de-occupied territories. He also said that on the right bank of the Dnipro River, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have not yet found organized units of the enemy. According to Molchanov, there may still be Russian military personnel disguised in civilian clothes on the territory of Kherson region. Because of the mass escape and technical lack of communication, some Russian soldiers could not flee to the left bank of the Dnipro River in time.

More than 1,000 Kherson residents are considered missing

The journalist also cited statistics of people who remained under occupation. According to him, before the occupation, more than 280,000 people lived in Kherson and 115,000 citizens lived in the Kherson community. During the occupation, more than 100,000 people remained in Kherson. He also said that most often people used routes through the occupied Crimea, Georgia and Russia to evacuate from Kherson. Also, as Molchanov reported, more than 1,000 people from Kherson are considered missing. The journalist says that some of these people may be in Russian prisons.