FIGHTING BACK

Russia Is Losing Its Grip on Ukrainian City of Kherson

The Pentagon said Russia’s control of the eastern city was waning as Kherson became “contested territory.”

Russia is on the verge of losing control of the Ukrainian city of Kherson, setting up a potential shift for the country’s approach to its invasion of Ukraine as the nation holds its own a month into war. A Pentagon official told The New York Times that Russian forces no longer held full control of the city, citing sweeping resistance from Ukrainian forces and claiming it was “contested territory.” Should Russia lose the city, it would weaken its control over eastern Ukraine and provide its largest setback as it tries to control its western neighbor. The official also said Russia has abandoned its quest to claim Kyiv from the ground, effectively inducing a ground stalemate, though it continues to bomb Ukrainian cites from the sky. Russia pushed back on any suggestion it would lose Kherson, saying on Friday it was in full control of the city.