Russia is bringing new army items into Kherson because it prepares to defend town from any contemporary Ukrainian offensive, the pinnacle of Ukraine’s Protection Intelligence Company mentioned in an interview with Kyiv-based information web site Ukrainska Pravda.
Maj. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov mentioned that, whereas Moscow was transferring injured individuals, money and the Russian-installed administrative authorities and monetary establishments out of town, it was placing extra troops in.
“[Russian bank] Promsvyazbank and different monetary constructions that the Russians introduced there are being taken out,” Budanov mentioned.
“They’re taking out money, [internet] servers, the so-called occupation authorities … All of the non-walking, critically injured are being taken out, they’re making an attempt to discharge those that can stroll as quickly as potential from hospitals … They create the phantasm that all the pieces is misplaced,” added Budanov.
“And on the identical time, quite the opposite, they bring about new army items there and put together the streets of town for protection.”
Budanov mentioned Moscow was appearing out of worry that Ukrainian troops may retake the essential Kakhovka dam, which lies to the east of Kherson, and encircle its troops within the metropolis.
“They perceive that if we take at the very least management over the Kakhovka dam … they should decide in a short time. Both [they will have to] very, in a short time go away town and get out, or they danger ending up in the identical state of affairs that our items in Mariupol discovered themselves in earlier,” he mentioned.
“Understanding all this, they’re getting ready the bottom in order that, if mandatory, they’ll get out of there in a short time. Nevertheless, they aren’t getting ready to depart now. They’re getting ready to defend.”
Budanov repeated allegations that the Russians had “partially mined” the dam.
He mentioned he didn’t imagine Russian forces would utterly destroy it, as a result of doing so would flood a lot of the Kherson area and minimize off the water provide to annexed Crimea and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear energy plant.
“In different phrases, for those who make an entire destruction, then the situation is as follows. Are they prepared for it? I don’t assume so,” he mentioned.
