Ukrainian fears 'city of death' as troops approach Kherson

euronews.com:

Ukrainian troops are reportedly already in the outskirts of the city of Kherson on Friday morning, after Russia began withdrawing its troops. 

But officials warned that Russian landmines could render Kherson a "city of death," and that key infrastructure sites might be rigged to explode as Ukrainian soldiers as they enter the city. 

Ukrainian officials acknowledged Moscow’s forces had no choice but to flee Kherson, yet they remained cautious, fearing an ambush. With Ukrainian officials tight-lipped with their assessments, reporters not present and spotty communications, it was difficult to know what was happening in the port city, where the residents who remained after tens of thousands fled were afraid to leave their homes.

A forced pullout from Kherson -- the only provincial capital Moscow captured after invading Ukraine in February -- would mark one of Russia’s worst war setbacks. Recapturing the city, which had a pre-war population of 280,000, could provide Ukraine a launching pad for supplies and troops to try to win back other lost territory in the south, including Crimea, which Moscow illegally annexed in 2014.

Ukrainian forces seem to be scoring more battlefield successes elsewhere in the Kherson region and closing in on the city. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Thursday night the pace has increased so much that residents “are now checking almost every hour where our units have reached and where else our national flag was raised.”

The armed forces commander-in-chief, Gen. Valeriy Zaluzhny, said Kyiv’s forces have advanced 36.5 kilometers (22.7 miles) and retaken 41 villages and towns since Oct. 1 in the province, which the Kremlin has illegally annexed. That included 12 settlements on Wednesday alone.

Ukrainian