Day 264 Roundup: Zelenskyy Visits Kherson, Alleges Russian Atrocities Committed in City

    Photo: Reuters [via The Guardian]

    The Facts

    • Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday visited the recently recaptured city of Kherson after Russian troops withdrew from the west bank of the Dnipro River last week. "We are moving forward," he said to troops while also thanking NATO and other allies. "We are ready for peace, peace for all our country," he added.

    • Earlier, in his nightly address on Sunday, Zelenskyy alleged without providing evidence that "investigators have already documented more than 400 Russian war crimes" in the city. "In the Kherson region, the Russian army left behind the same atrocities as in other regions of our country," he said.


    The Spin

    Pro-establishment narrative

    Russia's withdrawal from Kherson is a strategic victory for Ukraine. Not only was this the only regional capital captured by Russian forces in its eight-month invasion, it sets the stage for Ukraine's advance into Zaporizhzhia while shattering Russia's hopes of advancing to Mykolaiv and Odesa.

    Pro-Russia narrative

    Russia's withdrawal from Kherson was the correct decision to take. Its position there was no longer tenable and it was the right move in order to protect the lives of servicemen who were at risk of being cut off.

    Nerd narrative

    There is a 55% chance that more than 150,000 people will be killed in the Russo-Ukrainian War in 2022, according to the Metaculus prediction community.



    Establishment split

    CRITICAL

    PRO

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