Russia coming under heavy pressure in Ukraine, says Nato

ROME: Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg said on Thursday he was waiting to see how Russia´s withdrawal from Kherson played out, but if confirmed, it would be “another victory for Ukraine”.

“We have to see how the situation on the ground develops in the coming days. But what is clear is that Russia is under heavy pressure and if they leave Kherson, it would be another victory for Ukraine,” he said in Rome.

Ukraine said Thursday its forces had reclaimed a dozen villages in the southern Kherson region, a day after Russia ordered its troops to withdraw from the eponymous city. “We have seen how the Ukrainian armed forces have been able to push back Russian forces and liberate territory,” Stoltenberg said.

“These gains belong to the brave courageous soldiers of Ukraine. “At the same time the unprecedented support that Nato allies, including Italy, have provided is making a difference on the battlefield every day and remains vital for the Ukrainian progress.”

Stoltenberg was speaking after his first face-to-face talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who took office late last month. Her government allies include many people sympathetic to Moscow, although she herself has repeatedly emphasised her support for Ukraine and for sanctions against Russia.

Meloni said one of her priorities was to work to strengthen the alliance, to make it “even more capable of responding to threats coming from all directions”. “The alliance is indispensable for security and the prosperity of our countries,” she told reporters.Meanwhile, Ukraine said on Thursday its forces had reclaimed a dozen towns and villages in the southern Kherson region after Russian forces announced they were pulling back troops from the strategic territory.

Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Valeriy Zaluzhny said that in the last day Kyiv´s forces had recaptured six settlements after fighting near the Petropavlivka-Novoraisk front. He added that another six were taken in the Pervomaiske-Kherson direction and that his forces had captured more than 200 square kilometres from Russian forces in total in that time.

“We are continuing our offensive in accordance with our plan,” Zaluzhny said on messaging app Telegram. Since October 1, Ukrainian troops have advanced some 36-km into Russian-held territory in Kherson, liberating more than 40 settlements, Zaluzhny added.

And he said that Ukrainian troops had destroyed the Russian army´s logistics and support system in the region, leaving the enemy “no other choice” but to flee. On Wednesday, Russia ordered its troops to withdraw from the city of Kherson in southern Ukraine in what would represent a major blow to its military campaign.

More than 100,000 Russian military personnel have been killed or wounded in Ukraine, with Kyiv´s forces likely suffering similar casualties, top US General Mark Milley said on Wednesday. “You´re looking at well over 100,000 Russian soldiers killed and wounded,” Milley said in remarks at the Economic Club of New York. “Same thing probably on the Ukrainian side.”

The figures provided by Milley -- which could not be independently confirmed -- are the most precise to date from the United States government more than eight months into the war.