As declared by Saldo, Moscow controls the entire left bank of the Dnieper river, where 13 of the 18 districts of the province are located, and where over half of the population of the province lives.

The western part of the Kinburn coastline is also under Russia’s control, with several towns that were formerly part of the Ukrainian province of Nikolaev, the governor added.

“We will not rest until we have liberated the entire province of Kherson, above all, the same named city. To achieve this, a military operation is required, the corresponding orders from military commanders and, what is most important, the instructions of political leaders,” he said.

The province of Kherson broke away from Ukraine and joined Russia at the end of September by virtue of a referendum endorsed by more than 87 percent of the population.

The republics of Donetsk and Lugansk and the province of Zaporozhye, formerly Zaporizzhia, also joined Russia on the same date, after holding similar referendums.

On November 11th, the Russian troops left the city of Kherson to avoid being surrounded and was redislocated on the left bank of the Dnieper. Since then, the interim administrative center of the region has been in Genichesk.

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