Russia - Ukraine war: The Russians are pulling away from a key position in the Kherson area

Ukraine's KYIV — The western bank of the Dnieper River, which Moscow annexed in September and is located in the Kherson region of southern Ukraine, will no longer be occupied, according to Russian military announcements.

Gen. Sergei Surovikin, the top Russian military commander in Ukraine, informed Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Wednesday that it was impossible to deliver supplies to Kherson and other locations on the western bank. Shoigu agreed with Surovikin's suggestion to withdraw and erect defenses on the eastern bank.

The loss of Kherson, the only provincial capital Russian forces had captured throughout the eight-month conflict, is a significant blow for Russia.