Russia is bringing new navy models into Kherson because it prepares to defend town from any recent Ukrainian offensive, the top 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 shifting injured folks, 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 buildings 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, significantly 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 the whole lot is misplaced,” added Budanov.
“And on the similar time, quite the opposite, they convey new navy models there and put together the streets of town for protection.”
Budanov mentioned Moscow was performing out of concern 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 not less than management over the Kakhovka dam … they should decide in a short time. Both [they will have to] very, in a short time depart town and get out, or they danger ending up in the identical scenario that our models in Mariupol discovered themselves in earlier,” he mentioned.
“Understanding all this, they’re making ready the bottom in order that, if obligatory, they will get out of there in a short time. Nevertheless, they don’t seem to be making ready to go away now. They’re making ready to defend.”
Budanov repeated allegations that the Russians had “partially mined” the dam.
He mentioned he didn’t consider Russian forces would utterly destroy it, as a result of doing so would flood a lot of the Kherson area and lower off the water provide to annexed Crimea and the Zaporizhzhia nuclear energy plant.
“In different phrases, if you happen to make a whole destruction, then the state of affairs is as follows. Are they prepared for it? I don’t assume so,” he mentioned.
