UKRAINE: THE SITUATION 262 - NOVEMBER 9, 2022

The Russian Ministry of Defense ordered the withdrawal of Russian troops on the western (right) bank of the Dnipro to the eastern (left) bank on November 9. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu ordered the withdrawal of Russian troops to the other side of the Dnipro River on November 9, during a televised meeting with the commander of the Russian forces in Ukraine, Army General Sergey Surowikin.

During the televised meeting, Surowikin recommended the withdrawal, and Shoigu accepted his decision and instructed Surowikin to „safely relocate personnel, weapons, and equipment“ to the eastern (left) bank. The statements by Shoigu and Surowikin mark the beginning of a steady, combat withdrawal of Russian troops across the Dnipro to prepared positions on the eastern (left) bank, in order to maintain the combat effectiveness of the Russian units, including parts of the 76th and 106th Surowikin specifically stated that half of the troops withdrawn from the west bank of the Dnipro are to be relocated to other areas of Ukraine. The withdrawal of the entire Russian contingent across the Dnipro will take some time, and it is still unclear whether the Russian forces will be able to conduct the withdrawal under Ukrainian pressure in relatively good order. The battle for Kherson is not over, but the Russian forces have entered a new phase focusing primarily on withdrawing their forces in an organized manner across the river and stopping the Ukrainian forces, rather than attempting to completely halt the Ukrainian counteroffensive.

The full Russian Offensive Update 262 is available directly from UNDERSTANDING WAR.

UNDERSTANDING WAR online