key stage The victory of the Ukrainian forces in Kherson is a great step forward but there is still a long way to go before the territory is reconquered
The other way is encirclement. Instead of crossing, kyiv army fighters could isolate the Russian positions in the Kherson region “which would fall by itself”, analyzes Isabelle Dufour. “The Russians are in a defensive position, it’s easier to control. hold but also easier to hold target,” she stresses. Especially since there are many maneuvers of Russian troops towards Zaporozhye. “They may be reorganizing,” says Isabelle Dufour. And Ukrainian forces could “take advantage of this weak spot,” lead?
The victory at Kherson is all the more striking as the Russian withdrawal is the third in magnitude since the beginning of the invasion on February 24, Russia having had to give up the spring to; take kyiv face to face; the fierce resistance of the Ukrainians, before being driven out of almost all of the country. from the Kharkiv region (north-east) in September. “Only together can we prevail and drive Russia out of Ukraine. We are on the right track,” on November 12, the head of Ukrainian diplomacy, Dmytro Kuleba.
But many battles remain to be fought. carry out. In Bakhmout on the Eastern front, the fighting continues at; rage. Moscow has been trying to conquer this city since the summer. It’s the main battlefield where the Russian army, supported by the men of the paramilitary group Wagner, remains the offensive. However, “Russia is putting a lot of effort into it for little benefit on the ground, they are getting exhausted and even if the Ukrainians are losing some ground there, it’s not not significant,” believes Isabelle Dufour. Especially since a capture of Bakhmout by the Russian army would be a great victory, but not as much as that of the Ukrainians at the end of the war. Kherson, annexed city belonging to the Russian story of victory. And if other capitals of annexed regions, to If Donetsk, Luhansk or Zaporozhye were liberated by Ukrainian forces, “it would be catastrophic” militarily but above all politically for Moscow, continues Isabelle Dufour.
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kyiv has already warned: total victory would only be established the recovery of all of their territory, including Crimea. If it is released, with the Donbass at the East, “it would be the ultimate victory,” according to the director of strategic studies at Eurocrise. It’s a possibility. which is not excluded. Ukrainians are now at a loss; 90 km from the region. “To see if they have the ability, but in any case they have the will, recalls Isabelle Dufour. And that would be the ultimate humiliation.” This will probably require more Western military aid. So if Ukraine manages to cross the Dnieper and sow panic on the side Russian, they could then put all their forces on Crimea.