Image credit: Melody Cook/CNAS
November 16, 2022
Russia’s Withdrawal from Kherson, with Mike Kofman and Mick Ryan
Last week, Kiev reached an important milestone when Russian troops withdrew from the city of Kherson. This retreat has both strategic and symbolic significance, given that Kherson was the only regional capital that Moscow had managed to take since beginning its invasion in February. It also further adds to Ukraine’s momentum over the past few months, during which Kiev has liberated nearly half of the territory originally occupied by Russia. Nevertheless, serious questions remain about the months ahead.Where can Ukraine go from here? How might the U.S. and Europe support Ukraine to end the war sooner rather than later? What are the new risks Kiev may face in the coming months? Michael Kofman and Mick Ryan join Andrea Kendall-Taylor to discuss the implications of the Russian withdrawal from Kherson, and what it means for Ukraine going forward.
Michael Kofman is the Research Program Director in the Russia Studies Program at CNA as well as an Adjunct Senior Fellow at CNAS. His research focuses on Russia and the former Soviet Union, specializing in Russian armed forces, military thought, capabilities, and strategy.
Mick Ryan is an Adjunct Fellow with the Australia Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He is also a retired major general in the Australian army as well as the author of War Transformed: The Future of 21st Century Great Power Competition and Conflict.
More from CNAS
-
Charting a Transatlantic Approach to Russia
Reports
Although the United States and Europe are not directly engaged in the war with Russia in Ukraine, Moscow clearly sees itself as being at war with the West. The United States a...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor
-
Sharper: Ukrainian Counteroffensive
Commentary
With the slow progress of the Ukrainian counteroffensive this summer, observers expressed increased uncertainty regarding the conflict’s trajectory. This lack of advancement c...
By Anna Pederson, Anna Avanesyan & Charles Horn
-
The New Authoritarian Axis: Russian Relations with North Korea and Iran
Podcast
This past Wednesday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un traveled to the Russian Far East for a summit with Vladimir Putin. After more than four hours of talks, Kim vowed to provi...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Jim Townsend, Hanna Notte & Markus Garlauskas
-
The Future of the Ukrainian Counter Offensive with Mike Kofman and Mark Hertling
Podcast
Over the past several months, the world’s attention has been focused on the ongoing counteroffensive by the Ukrainian army. Many of Ukraine’s supporters had high hopes for thi...
By Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Jim Townsend, Michael Kofman & Mark P. Hertling
