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Russian officials said on Thursday that Ukraine’s occupation forces would soon consider annexing Kherson as heavy fighting continues in the southern region.
Kuril Stremsov, a Ukrainian national wanted for treason by Kyiv and deputy commander of the Russian separatist forces in Kherson, told Telegram: “We are preparing for a referendum. Hold it. I will,” he said.
According to Russian media, he added, “I hope that in the near future we will become a full territorial entity of the Russian Federation.”
Kherson Cutoff: Ukrainian Counterattack Momentum in Southern City
Stremousov has claimed for months that Russian forces in the southern regions are preparing to hold a referendum to “vote” on Kherson’s annexation to Russia.
But his new allegations come as defense officials defend advances made by Ukrainian forces in areas that have been seen occupied by Russia since early March.
A key bridge was closed this week after Ukrainian forces used US-supplied HIMARS to target a strategically important thoroughfare on which Russian forces in Kherson depended for access to occupied territories in northern Crimea. I was.
Destroying the Antonovsky Bridge over the Dnieper is a major victory as the Ukrainian army seeks to block Russian transport and logistics routes to Kherson.
Ukraine takes out key bridge to ‘destroy’ Russian plans for ‘advance’ in the south
The UK Defense Ministry said on Thursday that Ukrainian forces were “gaining momentum” in Kherson and said it was “very likely” that they had set up a “bridgehead” south of the Inglett River, a tributary of the Dnieper. .
“This forms the northern border of Kherson, which is occupied by Russia,” the ministry stressed.
The ministry assessed that Ukrainian forces had damaged at least three bridges over the Dnieper. A bridge used by Russian soldiers.
“The city of Kherson, the most politically important population center occupied by Russia, is now effectively cut off from the rest of the occupied territories,” the UK Ministry of Defense added. “Its loss would significantly undermine Russia’s attempts to see the occupation as a success.”
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Stremousov denied Western claims that Ukraine had made any progress in the southern regions.
Kherson local authorities said on Thursday that the Russian military had banned the use of Ukrainian currency and that anyone caught using the hryvnia currency would be “punished”.
Heavy fighting continues across the Kherson region as Ukrainian forces try to reclaim territory from Russian occupation.