Russia declared occupied Henichesk as the new “capital of Kherson Oblast” in order to consolidate its defenses in Ukraine’s south because the town is so far out of range of the Ukrainian artillery, according to the British Defense Ministry’s intelligence update of 15 November.
Henichesk is a Ukrainian town in Kherson Oblast located near the administrative border of Crimea currently about 120 kilometers away from the frontline.
The British Defense Ministry’s update goes as follows:
- By 12 November 2022, the Russian military had almost certainly completed the withdrawal of forces which had been holding territory west of the Dnipro River.
- With the abandonment of Kherson city, Russia has made the Azov Sea port town of Henichesk a ‘temporary capital’ of the occupied region. Russia will likely also redeploy military command units to the Henichesk area.
- The choice of this area as a command node hints at the priorities and concerns of Russian commanders as they consolidate their defences in southern Ukraine. It is well positioned to coordinate action against potential Ukrainian threats from both Kherson city in the west, or via Melitopol to the north-east, and to receive reinforcements from Crimea. Above all, it is currently out of range of Ukrainian artillery systems which have inflicted heavy damage on Russian field command posts.
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