Ukrainian forces made progress in the south on Thursday following one of Moscow's massive pullbacks in the war. However, Kyiv kept suspicious, warning that fleeing Russians could turn Kherson into a "city of death."
Ukraine's army chief, Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, said Kyiv could not yet confirm whether Russia was indeed pulling out but that Ukrainian troops had advanced 7 km. (4 miles) According to a Reuters report, in the past 24 hours and recaptured 12 settlements.
The Ukrainian military official noted on a Telegram post that Kyiv's troops "continue to conduct the offensive operation in line with our plan."
A small group of Ukrainian soldiers was shown on Ukraine's state TV in the center of the village of Snihurivka, around 55 km north of Kherson city. The verified video of the Russia-Ukraine war showed that they were greeted by dozens of residents in a square, with a Ukrainian flag fluttering from a pole behind them.
Ukrainian Officials Skeptical on Russia's Retreat
Moscow ordered its troops to withdraw on Wednesday from the entire Russian-held pocket on the west bank of the Dnipro River, including Kherson city, the only regional capital Russia had captured in nine months of the war.
Ukrainian officials have so far mostly been wary in public, warning that Russians may still be planning to sow destruction on their way out.
Russia has suffered another self-inflicted blow to morale this week after it announced Wednesday that it would withdraw its troops from a significant part of the southern Kherson region, per CNBC.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky showed restraint as he reflected on the announcement in his nightly address last night, saying it was important to remain impassive about Russia's withdrawal, while other Ukrainian officials questioned whether Russia's announced withdrawal was a feint designed to lure Ukrainian forces into a trap in the Russia Ukraine war.
Pres. Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine moves "very carefully, without emotions," without needless danger, both in the interests of liberating the entire country and minimizing loss of life on and off the battlefield.
The Ukrainian head of state noted that they are remaining silent on details of upcoming operations, with continued defense operations and those currently in the process of "planning."
Russian Troops Pullout Bring Shame on Putin
The Kherson withdrawal marks further humiliation for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who kept a low profile yesterday as Russia announced it was withdrawing its troops.
In late September, Vladimir Putin had hailed the annexation of Kherson following a fake referendum in the region, saying residents there were "becoming our citizens forever." Six weeks later, those words ring hollow.
In recent weeks, Russia has claimed to have evacuated about 100,000 city residents to the eastern bank of the Dnieper, supposedly for their protection. The Russian flag disappeared from the main administrative building and other sites. Russian-backed authorities were even said to have spirited away the remains of Grigory Potemkin, the 18th-century princely Russian general who was the city's founder.
Further suggesting an imminent retreat, Russia has been engaging in industrial-scale looting of the city and its environs, Ukrainian officials have said, transporting away everything from office furnishings in government buildings to hospital equipment and dismantling cellphone towers.
This week, according to The LA Times, the Ukrainian military reported a Russian convoy passing over a roadway atop a significant dam - one of the few river crossings left in the vicinity of the city-loaded with "home appliances and building materials."
Related Article: 'Putin Has Failed': Pentagon Exec Hits Russia Will Emerge 'Weaker' After 'Massive Strategic Failure' in Ukraine War
