Support The Moscow Times!

Kherson Forms Territorial Defense Unit in Face of Ukrainian Advance

A pontoon ferry across the Dnipro River in Kherson. TASS

The Moscow-installed authorities in Ukraine's southern Kherson region formed a territorial defense unit on Monday and have urged men across the region to join up to defend the city of Kherson.

"For all men who wish to stay in Kherson, despite the increased security threat due to the actions of Ukrainian nationalists, an opportunity has been created to join the city's territorial defense units," an announcement on the local authorities' Telegram channel read on Monday.  

The call for civilians to defend the Russian-occupied regional capital comes as a Ukrainian counteroffensive continues to advance on Russian held areas on the right bank of the Dnipro River.

Ukrainian long-range artillery is continuing to put pressure on Russian positions and logistics across the region, although the deputy head of the pro-Kremlin Kherson administration, Kirill Stremousov, said Monday that Russian forces has successfully repelled Ukrainian attempts to break through Russian defensive lines northwest of Kherson city in recent days.  

 

With the Russian military determined to defend the first major Ukrainian city captured by Moscow in the invasion, as well as its sole foothold on the right bank of the Dnipro River, the regional authorities have been evacuating civilians in preparation for fierce battle for control of Kherson.

"Anyone can go to the left bank of the Dnipro at any time — boats depart from the ferry port every day to the town of Alyoshka and Golaya Pristan," the administration announcement Monday also added.  

Russia is believed to have evacuated tens of thousands of Kherson resident in the past week, a move Kyiv has criticized, arguing that for many the evacuations were akin to involuntary deportations.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more