ShareSaveComment<a class="isDg-4PG" href="https://www.forbes.com/business/" data-ga-track="breadcrumb-L2">Business</a><a class="isDg-4PG _2XNbdi6I" href="https://www.forbes.com/aerospace-defense/" data-ga-track="breadcrumb-L3">Aerospace &amp; Defense</a>Kherson’s Airport Was A Death Trap For Russian TroopsBy<a class="_4tin10wS YbfXuVMn" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidaxe/" rel="noreferrer" target="_self">David Axe</a>
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#article-stream-0 .headline-embed .font-size{font-size: 54px;}Chornobaivka Airport burns on March 16
Ukrainian troops liberated the international airport
No one should be surprised at what the Ukrainians discovered at Chornobaivka Airport
on the northern edge of Kherson city six miles north of the river
The airport for months had been a veritable shooting gallery for Ukrainian artillery
Many of the victims of the months-long bombardment—wrecked tanks
trucks and radars—still littered Chornobaivka when the Ukrainian vanguard entered the airport
Invading Russian troops had captured Chornobaivka Airport on Feb
just three days into Russia’s wider war on Ukraine
The Russian armed forces converted the airport into a major base for the 8th and 49th Combined Arms Armies and other formations comprising the Russian garrison in Kherson Oblast
Helicopter regiments set up shop on the tarmac
Engineers dug revetments for scores of armored vehicles
Headquarters facilities hosted several top generals and their staffs
Chornobaivka Airport lies just 23 miles south of Mykolaiv
The Russian offensive north of Kherson ground to a halt well short of Mykolaiv
leaving the airport firmly within range of the Ukrainian army’s artillery and rockets—to say nothing of the Ukrainian air force’s TB-2 drones
So that huge concentration of troops and vehicles at Chornobaivka Airport became arguably the biggest
target for Ukrainian gunners for six months until the start of the Ukrainian counteroffensive that ultimately liberated Kherson Oblast right of the Dnipro
came with hours of Russian forces occupying the facility
Ukrainian gunners hit the tarmac again and destroyed at least seven Russian helicopters
Chornobaivka Airport in the aftermath of the March 16
the Russians pulled their aircraft from the airport
Ukrainian gunners killed two generals—one each from the 8th and 49th CAAs
“We caught them again in Chornobaivka,” reported Oleksiy Arestovych
an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky
But Russian troops clung to the airport just like they clung to the rest of Kherson Oblast
Even as their front-line strength bled away and their logistics frayed
Ukrainian brigades in late August launched a broad counteroffensive across the Kherson front
taking a lot of casualties but likely inflicting far more casualties on the exhausted Russians
The Kremlin on Wednesday ordered its forces right of the Dnipro to consolidate on the opposite bank of the wide river
That meant leaving Kherson city and Chornobaivka Airport
The Ukrainian troops who cautiously entered the airport on Saturday discovered a veritable junkyard of wrecked Russian equipment
a Zhitel radio-jammer and a Podlet-K1 radar
There also were two unflyable Ukrainian army helicopters
that the Ukrainians had abandoned at the airport back in February and still were intact
Russian troops attacked Kherson with artillery
A local resident was injured as a result of the shelling
This <a  href="https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AyLqqPedX/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was reported</a> by the press service of the Kherson Regional State Administration
&laquo;The occupiers fired artillery at Dariivka around 17:00
Doctors provided the victim with the necessary assistance
To recap, over the past day, Russian troops <a  href="https://nikvesti.com/news/incidents/302737-rosiiany-obstriliali-26-naselenykh-punktiv-khersonshchyny">conducted</a> massive strikes in the Kherson region
(Photo by Ihor Tkachov/AFP via Getty Images)Editor&#x27;s note: The story contains images and descriptions that some readers may find graphic.CHORNOBAIVKA
were in front of their old school in Chornobaivka when they were shot dead at around 4 p.m
Prylutskyi&#x27;s father and grandmother went out searching for their son
(His) head and eyes were blown off,&quot; Prylutskyi&#x27;s father
Blood was everywhere on the narrow concrete sidewalk
&quot;I immediately understood that it was our Vovochka (Volodymyr)&quot; after recognizing the shoes and socks
&quot;The hole in the head was clearly visible,&quot; she told the Kyiv Independent
witnessed a red car with the Russian war symbol “Z” leaving the scene
He said he had seen the same car earlier with two masked Russian soldiers sitting inside
The murdered men were sitting and drinking wine from bottles when the car drove by them
Russians may have mistaken the bottles for the explosives
or &quot;wanted to do it for fun,&quot; Dudar said
Since the morgue was closed under Russian occupation
their relatives brought the body back home
Oleksandr Prylutskyi wiped off the blood from his son’s motionless body and spent the entire night sitting next to it in the yard
Their relatives buried Prylutskyi and Dudchenko at a local cemetery the following day
The village council filed a case to the Prosecutor&#x27;s Office right after the murder
Once an ordinary village with a pre-war population of some 10,000 people
Home to the regional Kherson International Airport
the village was strategically important for Russia as a logistics hub for further operations aiming to capture Ukraine&#x27;s entire Black Sea coast
Multiple Russian attempts to land military aircraft at the airport were unsuccessful
resulting in its equipment and personnel getting destroyed by Ukrainian forces over and over again
Russia’s repeated failures in Chornobaivka became a well-known joke across Ukraine
Chornobaivka was occupied as early as late February
and those Russian troops that made it to the village terrorized the civilian population until its liberation in November
woke up to the explosions at the Kherson International Airport at around 5:30 a.m
particularly those living near the airport
began living in their basements due to the bombardment
Russian troops immediately occupied the airport in late February when they got to the west bank of the Dnipro River
The large airdrome was attractive to Russians as an ideal storage site for equipment
Ukraine made it as difficult as possible for Russian forces to use the facility as they envisioned
watching the airport repeatedly get hit was almost like entertainment during difficult times
She said she had a clear view from her garden
and then we stopped counting,&quot; Nosovska said
referring to Ukrainian attacks on Russian equipment at the airport
As Ukraine continued its strikes and pressed deeper into occupied Kherson Oblast during the counteroffensive in the south, Moscow <a href="https://t.me/AFUStratCom/8974" rel="nofollow noopener">withdrew</a> its equipment from the airport by late October
according to satellite images published by Ukraine’s Armed Forces
While Russians were losing on the battlefield
they were targeting unarmed civilians in Chornobaivka
Over half of the residents were able to flee elsewhere
and many of those who remained endured abduction and suffering
and 28 were wounded in Chornobaivka during the eight-month-long occupation
according to village council data seen by the Kyiv Independent
Most known deaths were due to projectiles flying into victims&#x27; homes
Russian military vehicles and soldiers crowded the main road between Kherson and Mykolaiv
Russian soldiers struck a civilian vehicle driving at night through Chornobaivka
The mother that was trying to evacuate her two children was killed on the spot
and the children were kidnapped by Russians and moved to occupied Crimea
The woman&#x27;s burnt-out car was found near several other destroyed vehicles on the road
The details about the incident remain unclear
but the 11 people eventually found dead in those cars were likely all civilians
For over two months after Russian forces sacked Chornobaivka
the Ukrainian flag remained on the town council
Russian soldiers didn&#x27;t walk around the center and mostly drove by and only occasionally stopped in the town
Dudar knew that Russians would storm into the building
he said council officials were transferring computers with sensitive information and data
Dudar says he took extra precautions and never spent the night in the same place
&quot;The start of complete Russian occupation,&quot; as locals put it
Russian soldiers broke into the administrative building and abducted Deputy Mayor Yevhen Rodionov
The Ukrainian flag was replaced with a Russian one
and council officials&#x27; homes were invaded
Dudar had a heart attack that day and was hospitalized in Kherson
&quot;The start of complete Russian occupation&quot; meant that armed Russian soldiers began patrolling the village
Rodionov was released from captivity in late May due to reasons unknown to local officials
Many council members fled Chornobaivka around the same time
Council Secretary Tetiana Lisna said that after breaking into her house
Russian soldiers threatened &quot;to do something&quot; to her mother if she didn&#x27;t collaborate with them
the Ukrainian flag was nowhere to be seen until the liberation day came on Nov
Even after Ukraine&#x27;s military recaptured Chornobaivka amid its months-long southern counteroffensive
and the residents are running out of money since most people were jobless during the Russian occupation
locals are disputing who should or shouldn&#x27;t be allowed to receive them depending on whether they accepted Russian-provided &quot;assistance&quot; during the occupation
On Nov. 23, the Ukrainian government <a href="https://minre.gov.ua/news/yak-hersoncyam-otrymaty-groshovu-dopomogu-vid-mizhnarodnyh-donoriv" rel="nofollow noopener">announced</a> that residents of liberated territories would be able to receive one-time cash assistance of $32-60 from international organizations
Thousands have signed up for the program but when the assistance will be handed out is unclear
residents come to the administrative office seeking immediate help to feed their families
They are especially worried as a cold winter approaches
and Russian shelling of liberated areas intensifies
Residents in the line told the Kyiv Independent that their concerns are growing as they have no details about the financial assistance they may get
Among them was a 61-year-old ex-pilot who refused to provide his full name due to security concerns
He said he had lived through the “scary” Russian occupation alone after his family fled to the west of Ukraine
The pensioner said he was extremely worried about the cold winter because there were still no utilities at home and the village council’s humanitarian assistance was “disorganized.”
but we don’t know what will happen with electricity
Thank you for reading my story. The Kyiv Independent team has been selflessly covering Russia&#x27;s brutal war against Ukraine since day one, doing our best to keep the world informed about the latest developments at home. Please consider supporting our young and driven newsroom <a href="https://www.patreon.com/kyivindependent" rel="nofollow noopener">by becoming our patron</a>
Asami Terajima is a reporter at the Kyiv Independent covering Ukrainian military issues
She is the co-author of the weekly War Notes newsletter
She previously worked as a business reporter for the Kyiv Post focusing on international trade
Terajima moved to Ukraine during childhood and completed her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in the U.S
She is the winner of the Thomson Reuters Foundation&#x27;s Kurt Schork Award in International Journalism 2023 (Local Reporter category) and the George Weidenfeld Prize
awarded as part of Germany&#x27;s Axel Springer Prize 2023
She was also featured in the Media Development Foundation’s “25 under 25: Young and Bold” 2023 list of emerging media makers in Ukraine
The Ukrainian Armed Forces attacked for the eighth time an airfield in Chornobaivka in Kherson Oblast
which the Russian invaders use for basing command posts and aircraft
It was reported by the Air Command Vostok in Facebook
Without a commercial break," reported the Ukrainian military
Recall that the Ukrainian military destroyed the Russian occupants' equipment at the airfield in Chornobaivka on February 27
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An 11-year-old boy has been returned from the temporarily occupied territory of the left-bank Kherson region to the territory controlled by Ukraine
<a  href="https://www.facebook.com/alexandr.prokudin.7/posts/pfbid02u5djqPc8D1Ybk1ZwPrwVr6zhsoWckHUTR9LKFkyvsMSccPAGRp8NeRZ57wvVU3FRl?locale=uk_UA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According</a> to the head of the Kherson Regional Military Administration
the Russian military killed the child's mother in front of him
but the Russians could deport him at any time
under the supervision of doctors and psychologists
A family is being sought for him who will be able to provide the necessary support
The operation to return the boy took place within the framework of the presidential initiative &laquo;Bring Kids Back UA&raquo; with the support of the organisation &laquo;Ukrainian Child Rights Network&raquo;
This is the 29th child who has been returned from the occupied part of Kherson region this year
It should be recalled that the United States is discussing <a  href="https://nikvesti.com/en/news/public/302927-us-discuss-return-deported-ukrainian-children-russia-confidence-building-measure">the possibility of returning Ukrainian children</a> who were forcibly taken to Russia as one of the key steps to build trust between the parties
His focus is on covering news and politics in Texas
as well as other general news across the United States
James joined Newsweek in July 2022 from LBC
and previously worked for the Daily Express
You can get in touch with James by emailing j.bickerton@newsweek.com
either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter
or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources
Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content
Ukrainian forces struck a number of targets around the occupied city of Kherson
several Russian bases and arms warehouses were attacked in the Kherson Oblast using U.S.-provided HIMARS advanced multiple-rocket launchers
Ukrainian news site Obozrevatel reports a Russian base was hit in Chornobaivka
This was confirmed on <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/topic/facebook" data-sys="1" class="multivariate">Facebook</a> by the Ukrainian military's official "Operation Command South" page
which said the target was struck with "rocket and artillery" fire
which has not been independently verified by Newsweek
reportedly shows Russia's Chornobaivka base coming under fire
Ukrainian forces said they hit an ammunition warehouse in Berislav
According to Obozrevatel the target was successfully destroyed
with multiple secondary explosions as stored ammunition detonated
The Ukrainians also reported three strikes on Russian "strongholds" in the Berislavsky and Bashtansky districts
along with another on an ammunition dump in the same area
Ukrainian forces are laying the groundwork for an <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/ukraine-counter-offensive-zelensky-attack-war-putin-russia-kherson-1727947" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="multivariate">operation to liberate Kherson</a>, occupied by Russian troops in the first few days of the war, with President <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/topic/volodymyr-zelensky" data-sys="1" class="multivariate">Volodymyr Zelensky</a> saying they are making "step by step" progress
The recapture of Kherson would help secure Odesa
Ukraine's most important Black Sea port and an obvious Russian target
If the entire Kherson Oblast can be recaptured it will break the land bridge between Crimea
and both Russian occupied parts of eastern Ukraine and Russia itself
On Monday U.S. National Security Council Coordinator John Kirby announced Washington will provide Ukraine with <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/us-giving-ukraine-himars-ammo-after-russia-says-it-destroyed-100-missiles-1729809" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="multivariate">more rockets for its HIMARS</a>
as part of a new $550 million assistance package
provided HIMARS to strike Russian targets far behind the front line
such as ammunition dumps and command centers
According to retired U.S. Army General Mark Hertling <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/himars-game-changer-ukraine-war-russia-dire-shape-ex-general-1727400" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="multivariate">this has been a "game changer"</a> in its fight against the Russian invasion
leaving the Kremlin's forces "in dire shape."
Ukrainian forces have hit three bridges over the Dnipro using HIMARS
making it harder for the Russians to reinforce their troops in Kherson
These include the <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/key-russian-controlled-city-cut-western-weapons-hit-bridges-uk-kherson-ukraine-1728671" target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="multivariate">critically important Antonovsky bridge</a> which has been left "likely unusable."
Russian forces in occupied parts of the Kherson Oblast are also facing an insurgency from Ukrainian partisan fighters
with sabotage and assassination attempts against a number of local collaborators
Speaking to the <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/topic/bbc" data-sys="1" class="multivariate">BBC</a>
one partisan explained how his team tracks Russian troop movements
then passes the details on to the Ukrainian army for artillery strikes
One official in the Russian-installed local administration was killed in a car bombing
whilst a number of others have been injured
was shot and killed in Kherson during April in a suspected partisan attack
Newsweek has contacted the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense and Russian Foreign Ministry for comment
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground
Newsletters in your inbox <a href="/newsletter" title="See all newsletter">See all</a>
Ukraine claimed on Saturday that another senior Russian military officer was killed
was eliminated in Chornobaivka township near Kherson city
the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in a statement
At least 816 civilians have been killed and 1,333 injured in Ukraine since the beginning of the war on Feb
More than 3.27 million people have also fled to neighboring countries
Claims on military casualties of both sides
He is not the first general to die in Ukraine. The full list of eliminated generals (with live updates) is <a href="https://en.defence-ua.com/analysis/eliminated_russian_commanders_and_generals_in_ukraine_list_live_updates-2241.html" target="_blank"  rel="nofollow">here</a>
Frankly speaking, it was a “groundhog day” for Russians in Chornobaivka by all means, considering the 4th successful destruction in a row of enemy’s pontoon bridge at one place and, in addition to that, 6th successful shelling of an enemy at Chornobaivka airport, as an adviser to the President’s Office <a href="https://www.facebook.com/alexey.arestovich/posts/5306451846085519" target="_blank"  rel="nofollow">claims</a>
Further operational information from General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine regarding Russian invasion as of 12.00 19.03.2022 is available below:
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Two spaces for children living in a modular town have been opened in the Chornobaivka community of the Kherson region
This was <a  href="https://t.me/khersonskaODA/33246" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> by the Kherson Regional Military Administration
It is noted that the spaces can be visited by children from the modular town and local children from the community
&laquo;They were created for fifty children living in the modular town
The kids are brought up in families who lost their homes due to Russian shelling
will also be able to visit the corners and have fun there,&raquo; the statement said
They also added that the spaces are equipped with children's furniture
They were opened with the support of the charitable foundation &laquo;Women's Unity&raquo; and the charitable organisations &laquo;Revival Foundation&raquo; and &laquo;Ukraine Volya Foundation&raquo;
As a reminder, a psychosocial support <a  href="https://nikvesti.com/news/incidents/302427-u-mikolaievi-vidkryly-novyi-prostir-de-mozhna-otrmaty-psykholohichnu-ta-sotsialnu-dopomohu">centre</a> was opened in Mykolaiv to help families with children
Ukrainian Ground Forces on their Facebook page posted a video of one of the episodes of Ukraine’s BM-27 Uragan MLRS combat use against russian invaders
The video shows the battery of 3 BM-27 Uragan units
The voice behind states that this event took place on the night on May 12
It seems that this video shows how the Armed Forces of Ukraine units struck for the 19th time russian occupiers in Chornobaivka
the officer of the Operational Command "South" Vladislav Nazarov reported in a comment to the media that that night our artillerymen hit the enemy positions in the area of Chornobaivka as many as 25 times already
with this video the Armed Forces of Ukraine pointed out that our BM-27 Uragan MLRS became literally a nightmare for the russian occupiers
and military equipment of the group have been withdrawn to the left bank.” 
Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov portrayed the retreat as orderly
piece of military equipment or weapon was left on the right bank of the Dnipro River
Konashenkov <a class="wsw__a" href="https://russian.rt.com/russia/article/1072828-minoborony-operaciya-dnepr-voennye" target="_self">said</a>:
an operation was completed in the Kherson direction to transfer a group of Russian troops to the left bank of the Dnipro River
weapons and military equipment of the group have been withdrawn to the left bank.”
photos and news reports from Kherson to contradict Konashenkov
As Ukraine began receiving <a class="wsw__a" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-hails-arrival-himars-predicts-pain-for-russia-2022-6" target="_self">longer-range U.S. HIMARS rocket systems</a> this summer, its military was able to damage many of the bridges that served Russian supply routes. That cut off Russian troops in <a class="wsw__a" href="https://deepstatemap.live/#8/47.326/32.065" target="_self">Kherson</a> from arms
“The Russians were left at the end with barges ferrying supplies, equipment, and reinforcements from the east to the west bank. … but the ferry system was in any case insufficient to supply the 20,000-some Russian mechanized troops trying to hold their lodgment on the western bank of the river,” <a class="wsw__a" href="https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-november-13" target="_self">the Institute of War</a>
Ukraine’s enhanced weaponry also complicated the Russian pullout
On November 11, <a class="wsw__a" href="https://youtu.be/GPHI3_wMrEg" target="_self">Reuters released</a> video showing a warehouse full of mortar shells and ammunition boxes left behind by Russian troops in the village of Blagodatnoye
the Russians withdrew in trucks without a fight on November 9
Ukrainian troops entered the next day to find the abandoned weapons and ammunition
Russian servicemen in civilian clothes were seen in different districts of Kherson, the National Resistance Center (NRC) of the Armed Forces of Ukraine <a class="wsw__a" href="https://sprotyv.mod.gov.ua/en/2022/11/11/russian-soldiers-dressed-in-civilian-clothes-remain-in-kherson/" target="_self">reported</a> on November 11
The Center said these soldiers were left behind; some hid their uniforms and identifying gear in trash cans but kept their weapons
The Center suggested that these stragglers might try to create the false impression that the local population was resisting Ukraine's liberation of Kherson
The Moscow Times, an independent Russian news outlet operating from Amsterdam, <a class="wsw__a" href="https://www.moscowtimes.ru/2022/11/10/rossiiskaya-armiya-v-chetvertii-raz-massovo-ostavlyaet-tehniku-ukraine-a26273" target="_self">listed some of the weaponry</a> that Russian forces left in Kherson
The Times considered the reports of abandoned equipment reliable because Ukrainian military communities in social media <a class="wsw__a" href="https://t.me/mysiagin/17360" target="_self">also provided</a> video showing that Russian troops left behind a modernized T-90M Proryv battle tank, a <a class="wsw__a" href="https://t.me/mysiagin/17323" target="_self">Grad rocket launcher</a> and many <a class="wsw__a" href="https://t.me/mysiagin/17308" target="_self">other</a> weapons
The Ukrainian website <a class="wsw__a" href="https://www.dialog.ua/war/262309_1668154790" target="_self">Dialog.ua posted</a> a photo of a BMP-1 &quot;Basurmanin&quot; abandoned by the Russian army near Kherson
Now a rare modification of the Russian assault infantry fighting vehicle BMP-1 was discovered and will be transferred to be used in defense of Ukraine,” Dialog.ua reported on November 11
The military blog Oryx, which has been compiling a comprehensive list of weapons and equipment lost by both sides, also <a class="wsw__a" href="https://twitter.com/oryxspioenkop/status/1591168434477621248" target="_self">reported</a> that two infantry fighting vehicles were left behind
On November 12, Britain’s Sky News TV channel <a class="wsw__a" href="https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/1695510/Ukraine-war-latest-Russia-flees-Kherson-ammunition-crates-sky-news-latest-vn" target="_self">showed a warehouse</a> containing abandoned Russian ammunition
They've left an enormous amount of ammunition
They left here about 24 hours ago; they just simply vanished from this place
But you can see all the bombs down here that they've left,&quot; Sky TV's reporter said
&quot;It's been taken over now by Ukrainian soldiers.&quot;
Britain’s Sun newspaper showed the same <a class="wsw__a" href="https://twitter.com/DefenceU/status/1591488080518975488?s=20&amp;t=WnIYEhsvYB3VAFH416S_Cg" target="_self">warehouse</a> in a video report
On November 13, <a class="wsw__a" href="https://www.reuters.com/video/watch/idOV903113112022RP1" target="_self">Reuters published</a> a video report showing Ukrainian soldiers inspecting military equipment
portable rocket launchers and dozens of ammunition boxes
“It will take at least a few weeks to unwrap all the generous gifts that the Russian occupiers thoughtfully left for the #UAarmy in the Kherson region,” the <a class="wsw__a" href="https://twitter.com/DefenceU/status/1591488080518975488?s=20&amp;t=Egu9Xk9WAvJGFJoQumwkcg" target="_self">ministry said</a> in a Twitter post
Ukraine claimed on Friday that its forces had killed another senior Russian military officer.&nbsp;
an aide to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy affirmed reports that a Russian lieutenant general was killed by Ukrainian soldiers at the Chornobaivka airport in the southern Kherson region
commander of the 49th Combined Arms Army of the Russian Southern Military District," said the official
Only three of the 648 Russian soldiers who fought in the 200th Special Battalion Tactical Unit of the Russian army survived
"Of the 648 soldiers in the unit sent to Ukraine to participate in a 'special military operation,' 645 were killed and two of the remaining three soldiers were wounded."
Ukraine said Wednesday that Russia&rsquo;s armed forces have lost up to 40% of their units since launching a war against the country on Feb
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine said in a statement that as of March 15
&ldquo;the enemy&rdquo; had lost up to 40% of the units involved in the so-called "operation" on the territory of Ukraine through their complete destruction or loss of combat capability
seven combat helicopters of the Russian army were destroyed during clashes in the Chornobaivka area of Ukraine
led to financial sanctions on Moscow and spurred an exodus of global firms from Russia
At least 691 civilians have been killed and 1,143 injured in Ukraine since the beginning of the war
More than 3 million refugees have fled to neighboring countries
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A lot of that Russian equipment at&nbsp;Chornobaivka
apparently never left&nbsp;Chornobaivka.&nbsp;
Chornobaivka, Russian leftovers <a href="https://t.co/FjnXOKCoMt">pic.twitter.com/FjnXOKCoMt</a>
Sad news on this otherwise joyous day.&nbsp;
The dog Krym, who lost his entire family due to the attack of the Russian occupiers in the Dnipro on September 29th has died.-Deputy Mayor of Dnipro, Mykhailo Lysenko.His entire family died that day - grandmother, mother and two children. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RussiaIsATerroristState?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RussiaIsATerroristState</a> <a href="https://t.co/DR8B3b5KN4">pic.twitter.com/DR8B3b5KN4</a>
there are reports on Russian Telegram that bases are being relocated away from the Kherson area
moving at least 70km back from the river to hopefully get beyond the range of HIMARS
This includes the base that has served as the repair and refueling station for helicopters used across the south
Military bloggers are pinpointing what appear to be new bases under construction —&nbsp;coming soon to a map near you
With Ukraine capturing the city of Kherson and pushing Russian forces to the opposite side of the Dnipro, we can show potential ranges for the M142 HIMARS multiple launch rocket system in the area: the current M31 GMLRS, and possible ranges for ATACMS rockets. H/t <a href="https://twitter.com/vcdgf555?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@vcdgf555</a> <a href="https://t.co/W8ETNDAhMt">pic.twitter.com/W8ETNDAhMt</a>
Russia may have blown up some of the gear the left behind on the west bank
but they certainly didn’t get to all of it.&nbsp;
Trophies arriving from the southern direction <a href="https://t.co/Up7fe6EqQA">pic.twitter.com/Up7fe6EqQA</a>
You may not have known today was going to be Ukrainian Grandmother Day
and the soldier rushing to his own grandma
Every day this grandma writes down how many enemies were destroyed from the General Staff's reports.Another grandma that is waiting for Victory with all her heart. &#x1f4f9;: lenablog22 <a href="https://t.co/vHqrn4yI6W">pic.twitter.com/vHqrn4yI6W</a>
Multiple reports suggesting that Russia destroyed a lot of equipment that couldn’t be moved across the river
Witnesses say that many of the explosions that were recorded in Kherson were not Ukrainian forces attacking Russian held sites in the city
but Russians systematically blowing up tanks
The babushka this soldier is running to see…&nbsp;is his own grandmother
Compare and contrast with Russian event in comments
People still celebrating in Kherson and I love every bit of it. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ukraine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ukraine</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kherson?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kherson</a>  <a href="https://t.co/gG5mabXkMk">pic.twitter.com/gG5mabXkMk</a>
This is a remarkable live broadcast of CNN from Kherson City. The recording speaks for itself.Every Russian soldier who was stationed in Kherson knows exactly that they were regarded as oppressors. This city never gave up and won. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ukraine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ukraine</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kherson?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kherson</a> <a href="https://t.co/5HAKFPJ4EZ">pic.twitter.com/5HAKFPJ4EZ</a>
Whether this might serve as a beachhead for Ukraine’s troops on the east side of the river
or is too restricted… looks like we’ll find out
The Kinburn peninsula, or as it is also called, the Kinburn Spit, remains the only not yet liberated territory in the Mykolaiv region, is the goal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, “combat work is underway” on this occasion, - Natalia HumeniukIn addition, she promised good news&#x1f91e; <a href="https://t.co/6MhK3yHLO8">pic.twitter.com/6MhK3yHLO8</a>
Historic scenes of jubilation in Kherson following the city’s liberation from Russian occupation. Amazing to think that just weeks ago, the Kremlin tried to convince the world that that these people wanted to join Russia <a href="https://t.co/Q6k9LSP9Ht">pic.twitter.com/Q6k9LSP9Ht</a>
and still more videos of elderly Ukrainian women greeting soldiers with&nbsp;belts of heavy machine gun ammo
Kherson grannies gave a great gift to the soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.Do Russians really believe they can defeat Ukrainians? <a href="https://t.co/zGlTlF4O0V">pic.twitter.com/zGlTlF4O0V</a>
not everything is completely peaceful on Saturday morning
Just hours after the liberations of Kherson
artillery has begun firing across the river to the north
it may not be firing quite in the direction that many expected
Artillery duels between both sides of the Dnipro river have started. Russian troops in Nova Kakhovka quite in a hurry. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ukraine?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ukraine</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NovaKakhovka?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#NovaKakhovka</a> <a href="https://t.co/F5VgEOkzET">pic.twitter.com/F5VgEOkzET</a>
As of Friday, Russia has moved the “capital” of Russian-occupied Kherson from the city of Kherson to <a href="https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2022/11/12/7376039/" target="_blank">Henichesk</a>
This is a town of less than 20,000 people before the war began
That makes it considerably smaller than such familiar small cities as Izyum or&nbsp;Kupyansk
Far smaller than any actual regional capital in Ukraine
There are certainly other larger cities within Kherson oblast
both Kakhovka and Nova Kakovka are much larger.&nbsp;
What’s special is that it is tucked all the over in the southeastern corner of the oblast —&nbsp;putting it outside of both artillery and HIMARS range
Henichesk is as far away as Russia can run
and still pretend to be in control of Kherson oblast; from a town 14x smaller than the one they occupied at the beginning of the week
there are good reasons to move Russian operations as far from any Ukrainian force as possible
Because it’s not just artillery targeting Russian positions across the river
Explosions reported in Nova Kakhovka <a href="https://t.co/DPbToDsO9c">pic.twitter.com/DPbToDsO9c</a>
Ukrainian forces have been striking ammunition depots
and aggregations of military vehicles in the area since HIMARS became a factor in the war
well before Ukraine began the western&nbsp;counteroffensive that reached its climax in Kherson this week
The idea that Russia could safely mass artillery on the east bank and pound the west once removed from Kherson was always questionable
because this is the likely fate of any sort of fixed artillery position anywhere in that region
And if Russia thought they had some kind of “deal” that meant they could sit across the river and not be bothered by Ukrainian forces …&nbsp;nope
Where did the Ukrainian grandmother get her handy stock of 12.7mm NSV ammo
It’s likely that Russia was using her home or a nearby building for a small stockpile like this one
Russian ammunition and looted civilian household appliances somewhere were found somewhere on the Kherson direction.Link- <a href="https://t.co/8QmryQeO5C">https://t.co/8QmryQeO5C</a> <a href="https://t.co/RAA0IuKj5z">pic.twitter.com/RAA0IuKj5z</a>
hopefully those troops helped that grandmother get her appliances back in place
Another personnel carrier. <a href="https://t.co/U3CrtbMOd2">pic.twitter.com/U3CrtbMOd2</a>
An ammunition depot abandoned by Russian troops in the village of Blahodatne, 20 km north of Kherson. Villagers said Russians had throughout the occupation broke into vacant homes and looted them, removing furniture, televisions, stoves and refrigerators. <a href="https://t.co/LvD1SYlRNn">https://t.co/LvD1SYlRNn</a> <a href="https://t.co/7HYeJkzmo6">pic.twitter.com/7HYeJkzmo6</a>
Looks to be a T-80 <a href="https://t.co/mFqTkJBm7A">pic.twitter.com/mFqTkJBm7A</a>
You can’t say that Russia didn’t get away with something.&nbsp;
&#x1f926;A Russian propagandist boasted that "her comrade" had stolen a raccoon from the Kherson Zoo when he fled the cityThe AFU are ready to exchange 10 captured mobiks for a raccoon, which was stolen from the Kherson Zoo by the heroically retreating second army of the world. <a href="https://t.co/vmJTlqAQVK">pic.twitter.com/vmJTlqAQVK</a>
With all of western Kherson liberated (except for that raccoon)
expect more coverage of what’s happening on the fronts in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts
The situation around cities like Bakhmut and towns such as&nbsp;Avdiivka
Ukraine has not surrendered these locations
but the back and forth over ground that has been plowed to a bloody froth continues&nbsp;and the costs are extraordinary
Russia was turning up the heat in this area in hopes of generating some kind of counter-story for the media
They’ve even claimed to have completely captured Paviivka
and Ukrainian troops are being forced to defend what remains block by block.&nbsp;
Nothing happening in the east is anywhere close to the scale of the victory in Kherson
But that doesn’t make the lives of the Ukrainian soldiers fighting there any less significant
Besides all the joy in the south, the AFU in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bakhmut?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bakhmut</a> faces hell. Russia has increased it's attacks which the Ukrainian forces try to withstand.Here are some pictures shot in the Hospital. Every half hour soldiers are brought in. Wounded and also dead.This is the truth of war <a href="https://t.co/qUxeMTfcQb">pic.twitter.com/qUxeMTfcQb</a>
what’s happening around&nbsp;Bakhmut isn’t the only place where things are heating up following Russia’s retreat from Kherson
In <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Svatove?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Svatove</a>
Explosions are heard very close to the city."The night passed terribly
Fighting is reportedly going on both immediately west of the city
as well as to the NW near the town of&nbsp;Kuzemivka
Ukrainian forces were reportedly engaged with Russian troops at a whole series of locations west of the highway
The “faded” explosions on this map represent the older known points of confrontation
The symbol near&nbsp;Kuzemivka represents the place of a battle that was taking place on Saturday morning
the reports from Svatove make it seem as if Ukrainian forces are closer to the city than this map may indicate
It’s possible that the “third ring” of defenses may have been broken at one of the points west of the city
More information from this area could be coming soon
Holy crap, what an amazing night! Where do we even begin this week's episode of <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/holy-crap-what-an-amazing-night/id1609094461?i=1000585725338" target="_blank">The Downballot</a>
Co-hosts David Nir and David Beard recap Tuesday's extraordinary results
starting with a clear-eyed examination of the issue that animated Democrats as never before—and that pundits got so badly wrong
They also discuss candidate quality (still really important!)
Democratic meddling in GOP primaries (good for democracy
and "soft" Biden disapprovers (lots of them voted for Democrats)
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