On a Visit to Kherson, I See Why the Ukrainians Will Win — with Our Support; Ukraine Rejects Alleged Offer Of "Short Truce" By Russia; Gas Pipeline Near St Petersburg Ablaze; Attack on Russian Town of Shebekino Reported, LIVE UPDATES and MORE

New York Post

On a visit to Kherson, I see why the Ukrainians will win — with our support:

Russia is going to lose this war. And Ukraine is going to win it. How can I say that with confidence? Because yesterday I was in the city of Kherson and saw Russia’s defeat with my own eyes.

Kherson is part of the south of Ukraine that was invaded and occupied in March this year. In September it was one of the four regions which the Kremlin gave a “vote” to in order to pretend that the regions really wanted to be part of Russia, not Ukraine. These “plebiscites” were meant to validate the occupier. But the whole thing was a sham, with results not seen since Saddam Hussein held “elections” in which he regularly received over 100% of the vote.

The Kremlin thought it was playing a clever game in “making official” its gobbling up these vast regions. But all the time Ukraine — backed by military provisions sent from the West — fought a far cleverer and braver war.

In recent days the consequences have been paying off. Last week the Ukrainians managed to take back the city of Kherson and much of the surrounding region. And they did it with barely a fight. So swift was the Ukrainian advance that many Russian soldiers didn’t even get the memo that they were meant to have fled the city.

One Russian soldier went into the local shop in the morning to get vodka and turned around to see two Ukrainian soldiers behind him. He is now among the prisoners of war that both sides are collecting in preparation for any final peace deal.

Yet although the Ukrainians took back the city, as I saw myself the locals have paid a terrible price. As you drive the towards Kherson you pass village after village that has been decimated by the Russians. Simple rural houses all have their roofs and walls blown off from shelling or from being burned in the resulting fires. They are ghost villages, with nothing moving and no one left. --->READ MORE HERE

File Image/AP

Ukraine Rejects Alleged Offer Of "Short Truce" By Russia:

It was revealed Friday by the Ukrainian side that the Kremlin has offered Kiev the possibility of reaching an agreement to implement a "short truce". It comes as there are more and more signals from Washington that it's ready to see both sides come to the table for some kind of ceasefire agreement.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Friday that Russian officials had attempted the overture, but he rejected the possibility, at a moment the Ukrainian counteroffensive has made recent gains, especially the retaking of Kherson city and many surrounding villages.

"Russia is now looking for a short truce, a respite to regain strength. Someone may call this the war's end, but such a respite will only worsen the situation," the Ukrainian leader said in a virtual address before the Halifax International Security Forum.

Zelensky then reiterated his hardened resolve to not consider the possibility of talks until Russian forces are defeated. "A truly real, long-lasting and honest peace can only be the result of the complete demolition of Russian aggression," Zelensky said --->READ MORE HERE

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