On March 3rd, Russia took control of Kherson, the first major city captured during their invasion of Ukraine. It was a badly needed win for Vladimir Putin’s beleaguered fighting force, which had to that point delivered an underwhelming military performance and struggled to overcome fierce resistance from Ukrainians defending their homeland.
But three weeks later, Russia is no longer fully in control of the city, which sits along the Black Sea.
The New York Times, citing a senior Pentagon official, reports that “Ukrainian forces are now fighting fiercely in Kherson and pushing back Russian gains there, again making the strategically important port city “contested territory.”
“Any Ukrainian success in taking back Kherson would be a huge blow to Mr. Putin’s war effort,” writes The Times “making it harder for Russia to follow through on any plans to seize control of Ukraine’s Black Sea coast and the southern port of Odessa, defense officials said. Losing Kherson would also endanger Russian troops who have been fighting in nearby Mykolayiv, the Pentagon official said.”
Maj. Gen. Sergei Rudskoi, a high-ranking Russian military official, insisted on Friday that the Pentagon report was untrue and that Kherson remained “under full control.”
But Russia’s military has clearly been underperforming. The Pentagon told The Times that Russian soldiers have adopted “defensive positions” outside Kyiv and have been forced to abandon their plans to capture the capital via ground warfare.
“Clearly, they overestimated their ability to take Kyiv and overestimated their ability to take any population center,” the Pentagon official said.
In the absence of a successful ground campaign, Russia continues to lob bombs and conduct airstrikes on Kyiv – and elsewhere in Ukraine. The seemingly indiscriminate attacks have led to massive civilian casualties. The U.S. said earlier this week that Russia has committed a number of war crimes.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military, buoyed by Western weapons, has continually punched above its weight. On Thursday, it destroyed a Russian warship that was docked in Berdyansk, a major development confirmed Friday by the Pentagon.
The Washington Post provides context:
The port, on the Sea of Azov southwest of besieged Mariupol, has been used by Russia to deliver military supplies in support of its month-long assault on Ukraine. With heavy casualties and equipment losses taking a toll on Russia’s advance, Moscow has described the port as a crucial entry point for reinforcements.
The damage to the ship was captured in social media videos verified by The Washington Post and satellite images. The flames were visible at long distances in clear skies, and the smoke was so dense that it appeared in images taken from space.
