Kyiv: Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Wednesday ordered his troops to leave the Ukrainian city of Kherson and establish a defensive position on the other side of the Dnipro River.

The declaration signaled Russia's largest retreat and perhaps the turning point of the war as it reached the end of its ninth month.

The overall commander of the war, General Sergei Surovikin, announced on television that Kherson City could no longer be supplied.

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“We will preserve both the lives of our soldiers and the combat effectiveness of our units. It is useless to try to keep them on the right (western) bank. Some of them can be used on different fronts, according to Surovikin.

The announcement came in the wake of weeks of Ukrainian advance on the city and Russian rush to evacuate thousands of its citizens.

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I agree with your findings and recommendations, Shoigu replied. Continue to withdraw the army and do everything possible to move the army across the river.

Influential war bloggers in Russia anticipated the announcement, which they described as a bitter blow.

How difficult it is to write about it right now, it appears we'll be leaving town according to the War Gonzo blog, which has over 1.3 million Telegram followers.

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It said, "In plain words, Kherson cannot be caught with bare hands." "Yes, this is a dark chapter in the history of the Russian army. Of the Russian government. An unfortunate page.