Russia has said it is going to "withdraw troops" from Kherson Region to the left bank of the Dnipro river. Kherson is located on the right bank.
Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu's statement about the "withdrawal of troops" is quoted by Russian media.
According to them, "special military operation" commander Sergei Surovikin "proposed to organize defence" along the Dnipro River. Shoigu allegedly "instructed [him] to start the withdrawal of troops, to transfer forces and equipment across the Dnipro".
He added that the "manoeuvre of troops" would be carried out in the near future.
Surovikin said that, located on the Dnipro's west bank, "Kherson and nearby settlements cannot receive supplies" from Russia.
The spokesman for the Odesa regional military administration, Serhiy Bratchuk, called on Ukrainians to have trust in the Armed Forces.
"Russia can NEVER be trusted and our commanders know it," he stressed.
Russians have previously explained the retreat by "regrouping" and similar veiled formulations.
Kherson is the only regional centre that was captured by the Russian occupiers after 24 February 2022. The Russian army entered it on 2 March. As of 29 October, the Ukrainian defence forces have liberated 88 settlements in Kherson Region.
Last week, the Russian flag disappeared from the seized building of the Kherson regional state administration. There were also reports that Russian checkpoints are disappearing in the region. The head of Ukraine's Main Intelligence Directorate, Kyrylo Budanov, suggested that the operation to liberate Kherson would last until the end of November.
Today Russian propagandists reported that one of the key collaborators in the region, Kyrylo Stremousov, allegedly died in an accident. The Kherson regional council does not rule out that it could be staged.