Russian troops ordered to RETREAT as Ukraine’s tanks reach striking distance of Kherson & Zelensky vows ‘we do not stop’

RUSSIAN troops have been ordered to retreat as Ukraine’s southern tank assault steamrollers their positions – and President Zelensky vowed he “won’t stop”.

A Putin stooge confirmed an order “to regroup” as pro-Russian blogs revealed the frontline had collapsed.

The lightning advance puts Ukraine‘s defenders in striking distance of Kherson city – the only provincial capital captured since February 24 that is still in Russian control.

Thousands of Russian troops face being encircled on the west bank of the Dnipro after the only bridges across the four-mile-wide river were blitzed with US and UK long-range rockets.

Moscow‘s RIA Novosti state media outlet quoted Kherson official Kirill Stremousov as saying troops were “conducting a regrouping in order to gather their strength and deliver a retaliatory blow.”

Russian troops are expected to fall back to the Inhulets river, just a few miles east of the city.

If they are unable to halt Ukraine’s advance, analysts warned Russian troops would loot dinghies and yachts from the city’s marinas to escape at any cost.

The withdrawal of Putin’s goons in the southern Black Sea region was branded a “disaster” by Russian reporter Roman Saponkov.

He listed several areas that Ukraine had recently triumphed in, saying they had been “abundantly watered with the blood of our soldiers.”

In the last week alone, Russia has lost a staggering 4,000 square kilometres of territory.

Independent Russian media Agentstvo said troops have “almost completely abandoned the occupied territories in the Kharkiv region.”

Soldiers have also retreated from the city of Lyman while rapidly losing ground in the north of the Kherson region. 

The main thrust of Ukraine’s incursions has been along the west bank of the Dnipro while a pincer movement attacked from the north.

Maps published by Moscow’s defence ministry detailed the significant loss of territory, including the village of Dudcany adjacent to the mammoth river.

Putin’s puppet officials earlier admitted they had lost control of the territory and troops are on the run.

Dudchany is around 25 miles south of where the front stood just a day earlier, indicating one of the fastest advances of the war.

It comes just days after Putin declared the whole of the Kherson region as part of Russia along with three other regions.

The Kremlin vowed to press ahead with plans for the annexation of 15 per cent of the country. despite the military’s humiliating retreats.

‘FAST AND POWERFUL ADVANCE’

On Wednesday, a Russian social media channel claimed the village of Snihurivka had been freed by Ukraine’s armed forces.

President Zelensky hailed it a “fast and powerful advance in the south”.

He said: “Dozens of settlements have already been liberated from the Russian sham referendum this week alone.

“In particular, according to the military reports from the Kherson region: the settlements of Lyubymivka, Khreshchenivka, Zolota Balka, Bilyaivka, Ukrainka, Velyka and Mala Oleksandrivka, and Davydiv Brid were liberated from the occupier and stabilized. 

“And this is far from a complete list.”

He added: “Our warriors do not stop. And it’s only a matter of time before we oust the occupier from all our land.”

The President met with his top military advisors today to discuss the “further liberation of Ukrainian territories.”

Discussions also centred on “stabilizing the situation in the newly de-occupied areas.”

Ukraine’s military earlier said enemy troops were “demoralised” after losing their strongholds.

Soldiers were said to be destroying ammunition depots and bridges in their path “in order to slow down the offensive of our troops.”