Putin supporters left reeling by yet another Russian 'surrender' in Ukraine

As Russia's subject commanders announced different large withdrawal successful Ukraine Wednesday, pro-Kremlin commentators person described the retreat arsenic a humiliating and important decision for President Vladimir Putin.

Putin kept a debased illustration arsenic Russia announced it was withdrawing its troops from the tentatively-occupied metropolis of Kherson and the westbound slope of the Dnipro river, which bisects the Kherson portion successful confederate Ukraine. The subject said it could nary longer proviso its troops determination and was disquieted astir the information its subject personnel.

It comes aft Putin successful September hailed the annexation of Kherson, pursuing a sham referendum successful the region, saying its residents were "becoming our citizens forever."

Just six weeks aboriginal — during which clip Russia evacuated thousands of Kherson's residents to Russian territory, a determination Ukraine decried arsenic deportation — and Putin's words ringing hollow.

News of the withdrawal appears to person amazed adjacent the staunchest pro-Kremlin supporters, with pro-war Russian bloggers describing it arsenic a monolithic stroke to the Kremlin's alleged "special subject operation," and questioning the decision-making of the country's governmental elite.

As quality of the withdrawal emerged, Putin protagonist and erstwhile advisor Sergei Markov likened the withdrawal to a decision connected the standard of the illness of the Soviet Union.

Addressing his thousands of followers on Telegram, Markov said: "the surrender of Kherson is the largest geopolitical decision of Russia since the illness of the USSR" and warned that "the governmental consequences of this immense decision volition beryllium truly big." 

Meanwhile, pro-Kremlin writer and person Andrey Medvedev said connected Telegram: "What present to accidental astir Kherson? Yes, I'm not blessed either, similar galore of you. Yes, I besides thought that determination would beryllium a antithetic solution. That a fortified country volition beryllium made from the city."

"You tin crook the metropolis into a ample fortification, portion having difficulties with logistics. You tin adjacent support it," helium said.

Medvedev added that the determination to retreat would not person been made without the support of the Putin. "I don't truly similar the solution but we are astatine warfare and the determination of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief successful specified a concern cannot beryllium challenged."

The withdrawal from Kherson was announced soon aft quality emerged from the portion that the Russian-installed lawman politician of Kherson, Kirill Stremousov, had been killed successful a car crash.

Medvedev said that some events represented a superior propaganda stroke for Russia and a boon for Ukraine.

"The departure from Kherson, particularly against the backdrop of the tragic decease of Kirill Stemnousov, is simply a superior accusation stroke to us. And present the West and Kyiv volition statesman to unwind [it] arsenic an unconditional triumph for Ukraine," helium said, adding that radical wanted an mentation for the withdrawal.

The Kremlin apt expected a backlash against the Kherson withdrawal; Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, who publically approved the withdrawal yesterday, has travel successful for repeated disapproval implicit Russia's subject strategy and tactics successful Ukraine.

Russia has already experienced humiliations connected the battlefield, withdrawing from the north, and superior Kyiv, aboriginal connected successful the war, and past from Kharkiv successful the northeast pursuing a monolithic Ukrainian counteroffensive. It besides retreated from Snake Island, a strategical outpost successful the Black Sea, successful what it described arsenic a "gesture of goodwill."

It's possibly nary wonder, then, that Putin — the "supreme commander-in-chief of Russia's equipped forces" — was obscurity to beryllium seen arsenic a grim-faced Shoigu, on with Russia's commandant connected the crushed successful Ukraine, General Sergei Surovikin, announced the withdrawal from Kherson successful a televised conversation.

Surovikin said it was nary longer imaginable to support supplying the metropolis and claimed, without presenting evidence, that Ukraine was readying connected attacking the adjacent Kakhovka dam, which helium said would origin wide flooding and civilian casualties. He suggested Russian troops beryllium pulled backmost to the near slope of the stream wherever they could "take up defensive positions."

Shoigu approved, ordering Surovikin to "start withdrawing the troops and instrumentality each measures to guarantee the harmless relocation of the personnel, armaments and hardware down the Dnipro [river]. For us, the beingness and wellness of Russian servicemen is ever a priority. We indispensable besides instrumentality into relationship the menace for the civilian population," according to comments reported by Russian authorities quality agencies.

Surovikin acknowledged the "very uneasy decision" Shoigu had to marque successful ordering the withdrawal, but said it would let Russia's forces to beryllium redeployed for "offensives successful different directions successful the portion of the operation."

Kyiv has repeatedly rejected claims that it is readying to onslaught the Kakhovka dam, saying Russia was readying a mendacious emblem cognition to onslaught the dam itself. Defense analysts, meanwhile, said Moscow was looking for an excuse to retreat from a ample portion of Kherson.

Russian journalists expressed dismay astatine the news, with Alexander Kots saying connected Twitter that: "You volition hold that determination is not overmuch [good news] from immoderate direction."

Another, Konstantin Semin, told his followers connected Telegram that they should "get ready" for the excuses down the withdrawal, saying: "Now you volition beryllium convincingly told astir the indisputable advantages of the decisions that person been made."

Ukraine was cautious pursuing quality of the retreat, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy informing that warfare required radical to stay unemotional.

His advisor Mikhailo Podolyak besides summed up concerns that the withdrawal could beryllium a feint, designed to lure Ukrainian forces into a trap.

It remains to beryllium seen whether the withdrawal is wholly genuine though analysts astatine the Institute for the Study of War said Wednesday that it's improbable to beryllium a trap, noting that the "ISW has antecedently observed galore indicators that Russian forces, subject and economical assets, and concern elements person steadily withdrawn from the westbound slope crossed the Dnipro River, and Russian officials person been anticipating and preparing for withdrawal successful a mode that is incompatible with a run to deceive and trap Ukrainian troops."

many indicators that Russian forces, subject and economical assets, and concern elements person steadily withdrawn from the westbound slope crossed the Dnipro River, and Russian officials person been anticipating and preparing for withdrawal successful a mode that is incompatible with a run to deceive and trap Ukrainian troops."

Now, some the Russian forces that person to retreat and the Ukrainian forces that privation to re-occupy, look difficulties.

Russian forces were reportedly blowing up bridges successful Kherson connected Wednesday, and perchance laying onshore mines successful an effort to dilatory immoderate Ukrainian advance. They volition besides apt person to retreat portion coming nether occurrence from Ukraine.