Russian media briefly report withdrawal in Kherson
Two Russian state news agencies briefly reported on an alleged withdrawal of the Russian army in the southern Ukrainian region of Kherson - but retracted the report shortly afterwards. "The leadership of the "Dnipro" grouping has decided to regroup the armed forces in more favorable positions in the east of the Dnipro (river)," the state agency Tass reported in the morning. The Ria Novosti agency disseminated a similar text. A few minutes later, both announced that the reports had been "canceled".
A little later, the RBK portal also quoted the Russian Ministry of Defense as saying that it was a case of "sending a false message" and a "provocation". It was initially unclear what exactly was behind the incident. The military itself did not issue a corresponding statement. However, journalists from the independent portal Meduza pointed out that Russian state media often received ministry notifications before they were officially published.
What is meant by "regroupings"
In the past, the Russian military has used the term "regrouping" to describe its own defeats and retreats - for example in the fall of 2022 in the eastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv.
Russia has been waging a war of aggression against Ukraine for more than 20 months now and initially occupied the Kherson region almost completely. Just under a year ago, the Ukrainian army then liberated the north-western parts of the region. Since then, the Dnipro River has formed the front line. In recent weeks, however, there have been increasing reports that the Ukrainians have also crossed over to the south bank as part of their counter-offensive and have already established themselves there. They have also taken control of several islands. However, this has not yet been officially confirmed.
- Despite the Russian media's brief report of a withdrawal of troops from Kherson, it was soon retracted, raising questions about the accuracy of the initial information.
- The reported "regrouping" of Russian forces in a more favorable position in the eastern Dnipro could be strategically significant, given the ongoing conflicts in the region and the media's historical use of the term "regrouping" to describe retreats.
- Amidst uncertainty and conflicting reports, it is crucial for international media to thoroughly verify information before broadcasting, especially in the context of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine, particularly in the Kherson region.
Source: www.dpa.com
