Russia leaves Kherson. The Kremlin consider this both “military necessity” and “invitation to negotiations”, say the sources of Medusa

In the Kherson direction, our losses are seven to eight times less than that of the enemy. We think, first of all, about the life of every Russian military. The decision on defense on the left bank of the Dnieper ( that is, leaving Kherson - approx. Medusa ) is difficult, at the same time we will preserve the lives of our military and the combat effectiveness of the troops.

So the commander of the Russian troops in Ukraine, Sergei Surovikin, officially explained to the Minister of Defense Sergei Shoigu the need to leave Kherson. Shoigu accepted these arguments and directly under the television cameras ordered to start the withdrawal of troops.

Sources of Medusa, close to the Kremlin, a month ago they said that Russian troops could leave at least part of the Kherson region. In early November, interlocutors, close to the presidential administration (AP) of the Russian Federation, specified: the Kremlin recognized the surrender of Kherson as a “likely but undesirable script”. The final decision on this, according to the sources of Medusa, was to be made by President Vladimir Putin.

At the same time, the AP prepared manuals about how propagandists should explain to the Russians leaving the city. “Zelensky wants to arrange a bloody show on the whole world, to present the Armed Forces of Ukraine with sufferers, to demand new money. The enemy wants Kherson to become a trap for Russia, the battlefield with a dozen thousand victims, ”the text said .

Its compilers proposed to draw the following conclusion: "Russian troops seek to preserve the lives of civilians and personnel."

Almost all the theses of the manuals were first repeated by Surovikin, and behind him the secretary of the General Council of United Russia Andrei Turchak, who was sure in May: Russia in the Kherson region “Forever”.

“Our guys near Kherson were at risk. At any moment, they could be cut off from supply, and in such a situation it would be extremely difficult to hold the defense ... The main goal of today's maneuver is to protect the population with the maximum savings of personnel, ”he wrote in his telegram channel.

Now the Kremlin is sure: the Russians who support the war “very negatively” will perceive the departure of the Russian Federation from Kherson. “This is a problem,” the Medusa interlocutors, close to the ap.

At the same time, the authorities hope that the topic of preserving the life of the military, on which the bet in propaganda is made, will be close to most of the Russians due to mobilization. “When the members of your family are fighting, good or even remote acquaintances, you perceive the military operations differently,” one of them explained.

According to another source close to the Kremlin, the withdrawal of troops from Kherson was discussed in early November at the Security Council, and not only in connection with a really difficult situation at the front (Medusa wrote about this in great detail), but also in the context of a possible return to negotiations with Ukraine.

“[This] is not only military necessity, but also such a step of invitation to negotiations. Some change in the negotiation position, ”he said. According to the interlocutor of Medusa, such negotiations are possible, but not in the “near time”. Moreover, even if they take place, then Russia will officially consider the previously annexed Kherson "territory occupied by Ukraine."

"Medusa" has already written that the Russian authorities have developed a new "tactical option" of negotiations. It does not suggest the conclusion of a full -fledged peace treaty, but the introduction of the time regime of the ceasefire. According to the Kremlin’s plan, Russian and Ukrainian military could agree on this.

The sources of Medusa, close to the Kremlin, were sure that for the sake of this, the Russian authorities would be ready to return to Ukraine part of the captured territories of the Kherson region. At the same time, the Kremlin expected that a temporary ceasefire would allow the Russian army to prepare for a new full offensive.

November 9-a few hours before the announcement of leaving Kherson, the representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova confirmed : "Russia is still open to negotiations with Ukraine-of course, taking into account those realities that are currently developing."

In addition, in a video message dated November 7, Vladimir Zelensky called five conditions for negotiations with Russia. “Once again: the restoration of territorial integrity, respect for the UN Charter, compensation for all the losses inflicted by the war, the punishment of every war criminal and the guarantee that this will not happen again,” the President of Ukraine said.

However, he did not mention the previous demand that negotiations are impossible while Vladimir Putin is the president of Russia. The publication Politico noted that American officials did not tell Zelensky or his assistants that Ukraine should change its position, but handed over that Kiev should “demonstrate its readiness” to end the war peacefully.

According to two Medusa interlocutors close to the Kremlin, the negotiation positions of Vladimir Putin have not changed. The Russian president is confident that the Ukrainian authorities should at least recognize the Donbass and Crimea by Russian. As a maximum, he intends to obtain recognition of Russia rights to all seized territories. Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov did not answer the questions of “Medusa”.

Andrey Pertsev