Russia names Henichesk temporary capital of annexed Kherson region

Henichesk will be the temporary administrative capital of the occupied part of the Kherson region, following the withdrawal of Russian troops from Kherson.

RIA Novosti quotes Alexander Fomin, press secretary for the Russian-appointed regional administration, saying “Beginning today the temporary administrative capital of the Kherson region is Henichesk.”

Earlier, the Kremlin reported that the withdrawal of Russian troops from Kherson to the left bank of the Dnipro River in no way changes the status of the annexed region. “It is a subject of the Russian Federation, this status is legally defined and secured. There have been and cannot be any changes here,” said Dmitry Peskov, the Russian president’s press secretary.

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On November 9, Russian Minister of Defense Sergey Shoigu ordered the withdrawal of Russian troops from Kherson to the left bank of the Dnipro, following the suggestion of General Sergey Surovikin, commander of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. They said the decision was made because of the difficulty in maintaining supply lines to the city, and because of a desire to save the lives of Russian troops.

On the morning of November 11, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported the retreat from Kherson. The ministry said that more than 30,000 Russian troops and around 5,000 weapons and military equipment had been withdrawn to the left bank of the Dnipro. Ukrainian troops entered the city that day.

Kherson was the only Ukrainian regional center captured by Russia since the start of the invasion. Henichesk is located in the Arabat Spit area, on the shore of the Sea of Azov, around 200 kilometers (about 120 miles) from Kherson.