What is happening in Kherson (and why Putin wants it at all costs) – Corriere.it

the watchers They are struggling to understand what is happening on the front lines. They are forced to walk there from afar Advertising that deceiveCompetitors are setting off a smokescreen, clearly masking their actions.

Focused attention on the Kherson region with two theories.

the first. The Russians are preparing for their withdrawal from the city, the only regional capital occupied since February 24, to create a better defensive position.

Second. The Ukrainian leadership, unconvinced, says that thousands of civilians have been relocated but that the military has specifically deployed reinforcements to counter any new batch.

The location is very important for the Kremlin: the Kherson region is actually located above the Crimea, which Putin occupied militarily in 2014, and From here comes the water supply of the peninsulaAcross Soviet channel Banned eight years ago by the Ukrainians and reopened by the Russians after the invasion. Kherson also passes the last mile of the pass that allows to connect Crimea with the To the mother country, which is currently only accessible via the Kerch Bridge, which was struck by the Ukrainians last month.

Expert Michael Kaufman – always among the most cited – overlapping between the two hypotheses. On the one hand, he mentions the importance of the place from a political point of view, and on the other hand, he believes that Withdrawal on the east bank of the Dnipro River can bring the invaders some advantages. or natural obstacle And less land to be fortified. Weather conditions, mud and the presence of many channels along the ground slow down the movements of the units. Testimonies from the Ukrainians claim that the opponent replaces soldiers very quickly and does not seem to have a problem fanning the artillery fire. Cautious evaluations come from Kyiv. The General Staff states that The city can be liberated by the end of the yearAt the same time, he wants to avoid falling into some trap.

Everyone has their own problems. Grand. For Ukraine, the damage to the electricity and water networks, in which millions of civilians were caught hostage to the raids of the invaders. For Russia, reservists continue to complain about poor equipment, living conditions and lower wages than they promised. But as the researcher says, Putin’s generals care about the density of troops that will be deployed over the region. Uncertainty remains about the hierarchy of the invaders. The latest unofficial news claims that General Alexander Labin – He was relieved of his position a few weeks ago – He was replaced as commander of the Central Sector by General Alexander Linkov. Temporary rotation will be confirmed.