British intel sees Russian intent to expedite withdrawal from Kherson
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Read also: Kherson likely to be liberated by end of November, says Ukraine's spy chief
According to the tweet, the Russian-appointed governor of the occupied Kherson Oblast, Vladimir Saldo, said on Oct. 27 that over 70,000 residents had left the city.
On Oct. 26, the collaborator also claimed that the remains of 18th century Russian statesman, Prince Grigory Potemkin, had been removed from his tomb in Kherson's cathedral.
Read also: Russian troops in Kherson steal pair of statues of Russian military figures
“In the Russian national identity, Potemkin is heavily associated with the Russian conquest of Ukrainian lands in the 18th century, and highlights the weight Putin almost certainly places on perceived historical justification for the invasion,” the update said.
“This symbolic removal of Potemkin and the civilian exodus likely pre-empts Russian intent to expedite withdrawal from the area.”
Read also: Artillery, tanks, and ordinary life in the combat zone of the Kherson Front - NV report
The Ukrainian military’s Operational Command South reported that the Russian occupation authorities continues to forcefully evict residents of Kherson city and Kherson Oblast.
Locals near Kherson were given two days to leave their homes.
In October, Russian dictator Vladimir Putin declared "martial law" in the occupied part of Kherson Oblast, and the occupying “authorities” closed the region for entry. At the same time, there were many news reports that the "administration" was leaving Kherson and other cities on the right bank of the Dnipro River.
Earlier, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said that the Ukrainian offensive in Kherson Oblast was slowing because of the rainy weather. He also said all the bridges in the region were under Ukrainian fire control, cutting off Russian avenues of escape.
Russia is sending mobilized soldiers to the region, while preparing defenses in the streets of Kherson city, according to Chief of Ukraine’s Main Defense Intelligence Department Kyrylo Budanov.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that rumors that Russian invaders were fleeing the occupied city of Kherson amounted to “an informational attack.”
Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
