Wounded Russian soldiers ‘abandoned by fleeing comrades’ as Putin’s forces withdraw from Kherson

Russia’s retreat from Ukraine city is major blow to Vladimir Putin’s invasion, nearly nine months after it began

Russian soldiers are leaving their wounded behind as they desperately flee from Kherson, a Ukrainian soldier has claimed.

Earlier this week, Russia announced it was retreating from the region, including parts of the city which had been the only regional capital Moscow had captured so far.

The strengthening advance from Volodymyr Zelensky’s troops has forced Moscow to fall back, and in the 24 hours since Russia began its withdrawal, Ukrainian troops have recaptured more than 250 square kilometres of territory.

Nikolai, a Ukrainian soldier fighting in the region, told The Telegraph Russian troops have pulled back to more “fortified positions” but added some points were still “populated” and engaged in battles.

He said: “They withdraw because they suffer losses, very heavy losses. What’s more, they don’t even take the bodies of their soldiers and leave the wounded behind.

“We are constantly attacking. And they have no choice but to retreat beyond the Dnipro river, where they have concentrated all their strength.”

Ukrainian soldiers launch a drone at the frontline at the northern Kherson region (EPA)

Ukraine was previously cautious about publicly celebrating the liberation of Kherson for fears that Russia would wreak devastation as the forces left.

But in his evening address on Thursday, President Zelensky paid tribute to his fallen soldiers who gave their lives for the liberation of 41 settlements in the south.

“Today we have good news from the south,” he said. “We should all remember now and always what this movement means, we should remember that every step (forward has a cost), the lives of our warriors.

“It’s not the enemy leaving. It’s Ukrainians who drive the occupiers out at high cost.”

Ukrainian troops have recaptured more than 250 square kilometres of territory since Russia’s withdrawal from Kherson (AP)

Moscow’s retreat from the western bank of the River Dnipro is a severe blow to plans to establish a land corridor to Crimea and secure the water supply to the Russian-controlled peninsula.

Russian state media and pro-Kremlin war hawks defended it as a necessary move while acknowledging a heavy blow.

“I know for sure that this decision was not easy for anyone. Not for those who took it, nor for those of us who understood it would be so but still prayed it wouldn’t happen,” said Margarita Simonyan, head of RT, Russia‘s international propaganda channel.

The War Gonzo blog, with more than 1.3 million Telegram subscribers, stated: “Apparently we will leave the city, no matter how painful it is to write about it now. In simple terms, Kherson can’t be held with bare hands. Yes, this is a black page in the history of the Russian army, of the Russian state, a tragic page.”