The operation to liberate temporarily occupied Kherson will most likely last until the end of November. This was stated in an interview with The Drive by the head of the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense, Kyrylo Budanov.
"Most likely, the operation to liberate Kherson will last until the end of next month," he said.
According to Budanov, the Armed Forces of Ukraine are trying to surround the city and isolate Russian troops.
"This is exactly what we are trying to do. But externally they are resisting. They are trying to hinder our progress and you have to understand that the fighting continues every day," he added.
At the same time, the head of Ukrainian intelligence confirmed the journalist's assumption that "the battle for Kherson will be bloody", but the Armed Forces of Ukraine are trying to ease the situation as much as possible, but, according to Budanov, "it will not be without a fight".
Budanov also stated that the most prepared and combat-capable Russian military is located in occupied Kherson. According to preliminary estimates, the group of Russian troops in the southern direction has about 40 thousand people.
According to him, units of the Russian airborne forces, special forces and marines are located in the Kherson region. They are the most combat-capable units of the Russian army. They are also reinforced by the mobilized.
Budanov noted that these troops are also stationed on the left bank of the Dnipro River in the Kherson region.
"The combat component, i.e. units that can pose any danger to us, is approximately 40,000. Kherson is in the middle of this grouping. These are troops in Kherson, in the areas of the western bank of the Dnieper, as well as troops stationed on the eastern bank." Budanov explained.