Russian Forces Retreat From Kherson

Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu has ordered Russian forces to withdraw from the city of Kherson in southern Ukraine, reports Reuters.

In a televised speech on Wednesday, Shoigu ordered Russian troops to withdraw from the city and take up defensive positions eastern bank of the Dnipro River.

Gen. Sergei Surovikin, the overall commander of Russian forces in Ukraine, told the minister that it was no longer possible to keep Kherson supplied and proposed taking up new positions on the opposite bank of the river.

The move comes after weeks of advances by Ukrainian troops and a Russian effort to relocate thousands of civilians from Kherson.

The retreat is one of the largest since Russia launched its unprovoked invasion in February. The Kherson region is also one of four that Russia claimed to annex in September.