Russian troops ‘blow up’ TV centre as they retreat from Kherson

Kherson was the only regional capital Russia had captured (Picture: Shutterstock)

Russian troops retreating from Kherson are said to have blown up a TV centre as they left the Ukrainian city.

Local media is reporting chaos after Russia’s announcement that it will withdraw from the city.

Russian forces have been accused of blowing up part of a television broadcasting centre, as well as damaging heating and power infrastructure.

Deputy defence minister Hanna Malyar said Russian forces were destroying communications infrastructure.

Russians are said to have launched attacks as they retreat from Kherson (Picture: REUTERS)

Russian soldiers are said to have caused chaos while leaving the region (Picture: AP)

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She said on Telegram: ‘The Russian Federation is looting our museums in the temporarily occupied territories, removing Wi-Fi routers from homes and physically abusing our people.

‘It is hopeless civilizational backwardness,’

‘Today, during the day, Russian troops blew up the broadcasting centre of Kherson television,” said the website IMI, one of two outlets reporting the development.

‘According to our contacts the [television] tower remained intact.’

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian-appointed governor of Kherson region, Yaroslav Yanushevych, said Russian troops had ‘taken away public equipment, damaged power lines and wanted to leave a trap behind them’.

Ukrainian forces do not yet have access to the city and have struggled to get in contact with civilians there today.

It comes after Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu ordered his troops to withdraw from Kherson and take up defensive lines on the opposite bank of the River Dnipro.

The announcement marked one of Russia’s most significant retreats and a potential turning point in what Moscow calls its ‘special military operation’, now nearing the end of its ninth month.

On Wednesday, Surovikin reported to Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu that it was no longer possible to keep Kherson city supplied.

Shoigu agreed with his proposal to retreat and set up defences on the eastern bank.

In televised remarks, Surovikin said: ‘We will save the lives of our soldiers and fighting capacity of our units. Keeping them on the right (western) bank is futile. Some of them can be used on other fronts.’

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