Meanwhile, Kirill Stremousov, deputy head of the Russian puppet authorities in Kherson, announced a “pause” in preparations for the apparent annexation of the regional capital.
“We prepared for the vote, we wanted to hold a referendum in the near future, but because of all the events that have happened now, I think for now we will take a break,” he said. he declared, in a sign that Russia is losing its grip. over southern Ukraine.
Hours later, he posted a video denying that Russian-installed authorities had halted efforts for a long-planned referendum to bring the region under Kremlin control.
Ukrainian forces advance
While Ukraine has remained largely silent on operations in the south, Western analysts said Kyiv was able to increase its bridgehead on the Inhulets River near Kherson.
Russian airstrikes on Sukhy Stavok, Bezimenne and Kostromka around the secured grounds “may indicate that Ukrainian forces have advanced up to 12 km southeast of the bridgehead”, according to the Institute for the Study of War ( ISW), a US-based think tank. Tank.
After Vysokopillya was liberated by Ukrainian forces, there were reports of Russian attacks on the nearby settlements of Olhyne, Potomkyne, Doryanka, and Novovoznesenske, suggesting that Moscow forces had left the area.
Pro-Russian sources said the Ukrainian offensive was being waged in at least five directions east and west of Vysokopillya, near the Ukrainian bridgehead, near Snihurivka about 37 miles to the east of Mykolaiv, and northwest and west of Kherson.
“Ukrainian forces have made substantial enough progress to begin to elicit more realistic commentary from Russian mibloggers, who had been following the Kremlin’s upbeat rhetoric very closely until today,” ISW added.
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