Russian Troops Urged To Leave Kherson Voluntarily

On July 21, the Advisor to the President’s Office, Mykhailo Podolyak, stated on Twitter that the destruction of the Antonovsky bridge in Kherson by the Ukrainian army was a sign for Russian troops to retreat.

“Antonivsky bridge – a relevant ‘gesture of goodwill’ for now that says it’s time for Russian troops to leave Kherson voluntarily. Otherwise – face constant shelling, night terror, panic attacks and HIMARS. The range of possibilities is narrowing, along with the accuracy of Ukrainian artillery fire.” Podolyak stated.

Successful strikes of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the Antonovsky bridge represent a serious step in the destruction of the Russian troops on the right bank of the Dnipro river.

On July 19, Ukrainian forces attacked the base of the Russian invaders, located near the bridge, and destroyed military units and weapons.

A repeated attack on the bridge was also reported on July 20. The occupiers have already announced that traffic is temporarily restricted.

British intelligence calls the Antonovsky bridge the main vulnerability of the Russian army in the Kherson region. That is why control over crossings across the Dnipro river can become a deciding factor in the Kherson region fighting.

Overnight strikes on enemy positions

The Ukrainian army continues to attack the positions of Russian troops in the south of the country. On July 22 the command of the Ukrainian Armed Forces confirmed it had carried out eight strikes against Russian positions and ammunition depots.

Other Topics of Interest

Zelensky Meets CIA Director William Burns in Ukraine

Zelensky said he had met Burns on multiple occasions throughout the war, but their meetings had been undisclosed.

During the night, the occupiers lost:

• 35 soldiers;
• A self-propelled howitzer;
• Two drones;
• Three units of armored vehicles; and
• Eight units of automotive equipment.

The Ukrainian army also hit five strongholds and two enemy ammunition depots.

On July 11, the Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said in an interview with the Britain’s The Times that President Zelensky ordered an operational plan to return the country’s southern territories, including Kherson, the only regional center captured by Russian troops during the war.

Conceivably such statements by the Ukrainian authorities are aimed at motivating the Russian troops to conduct a “goodwill gesture” and retreat from Kherson voluntarily.