Pro-Russians in Kherson are desperate for help from Moscow: “Please help organize the evacuation process”

The Russian units on the front in Ukraine would have been ordered to stop offensive operations, claims the Ukrainian General Staff, quoted by the Kyiv press.

The reasons for the decision would be the very low morale of the Russian units, the numerous desertions and the refusal to carry out orders.

Despite the problems on the front, the Kremlin continues to attack Ukraine’s infrastructure with missiles. However, more and more signals show Russia’s willingness to sit down at the negotiating table.

Putin himself hinted in the last two days that his country could resume gas supplies to Western states as soon as possible.

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Astana, Kazakhstan, where they both took part in an economic summit with Central Asian countries. Putin was left waiting, again, before the face-to-face meeting. The Russian leader came up with big initiatives: he presented Erdogan with his plan for a Russian gas supply hub that could reach Europe indirectly, via Turkey.

Vladimir Putin, President of Russia: “We could consider the possibility of building another gas pipeline system and creating a ‘gas hub’ in Turkey, for sales to third countries, primarily, of course, to European ones. It would be a platform not only for gas supply but also for pricing. Today, gas prices are exorbitant, but we can regulate them, at a normal market level, without any political disruption”.

Kiev does not take the Kremlin’s words seriously

The announcement comes a day after Putin declared in Moscow that he is ready to resume gas supplies to Germany. More directly, the Kremlin spokesman said that Moscow is open to negotiations. A similar position was held by the Russian Foreign Minister, who mentioned that the situation cannot get any worse.

Sergei Lavrov, Foreign Minister of Russia: “We are not asking anyone to meet, we have repeatedly stated this. But we have never refused any serious and healthy proposal to get in touch with each other.”

One of the advisers of Ukrainian President Zelensky says, however, that the words of Russian officials cannot be taken seriously.

Mikhail Podoliak, adviser to the presidential office of Ukraine: “Putin does not think rationally. He is driven by emotions. He makes a lot of decisions from an emotional posture without having a deep understanding of what is going on. Every decision that President Putin makes is a mistake”.

Moreover, Russia does not stop with its attacks on the Ukrainian energy infrastructure. On Thursday, it hit targets in the Kiev region, but also residential areas in southern cities such as Zaporozhye and Nikolaev. In a village in the Dnipropetrovsk region, neighboring Kherson, Russian missiles hit a school.

Tetiana Samarenkova, a resident of Velika Kostromka and director of its cultural center: “We initially thought that they had destroyed the whole school, but when we got there we saw that four classes had disappeared. But we, the residents, will rebuild the school and Russia will not destroy our plans”.

Ukraine gains ground again, separatists demand evacuation

In response, the Ukrainians destroyed an ammunition depot in the Russian city of Belgorod with long-range missiles.

On the front, the Ukrainian army is advancing in the Kherson region, where it has conquered new towns. The Russians are retreating, and the governor imposed by the Russians in the occupied territories asked for Moscow’s help to evacuate the population to Russia.

Vladimir Salo, the pro-Russian head of the Kherson region: “I am addressing the leadership of Russia and I want to ask you to help organize this evacuation process. We, the residents of the Kherson region, know that Russia does not abandon its people, Russia always lends a helping hand when it is difficult.”

The situation on the front is increasingly difficult, because the supply of Russian units on the right of the Dnieper is almost impossible, and traffic on the Kerch bridge has not yet been resumed. In the East, Ukrainian units advanced into the Luhansk region, until recently completely occupied by the Russians.

The Russians modernize junk

On the other hand, there is growing evidence that the Russian authorities forcibly relocated Ukrainian children from the occupied regions to Russian territory and gave them up for adoption to local families. Ukraine and international human rights organizations say that Moscow’s actions are an abuse and an attempt to Russify the population of the occupied regions. While Russia claims that the adoption of Ukrainian children is a sign of generosity.

Maria Lvova-Belova, Commissioner for Children’s Rights in Russia: “It is very important that these children feel that they are full members of the Russian Federation, on the territory of Russia, as citizens of the Russian Federation. We are not talking about adoption, but guardianship, which helps us preserve the blood ties between these children and their relatives who remained in the territories.”

The war is far from over. Faced with huge losses at the front, the Russians announced that they wanted to upgrade 800 T62 tanks, which entered production in the 1960s. And the Kremlin’s pressure seems to have paid off in Belarus, where reports have emerged that a covert mobilization campaign of reservists has begun.