Putin Army Detachment Dubs Kherson Retreat as 'Betrayal' Of Russia

A right-wing combat detachment from Russia's army has described the retreat by Moscow's forces from Kherson as a "betrayal of the Russian people."

The comments on the Telegram social media channel of the Sabotage Assault Reconnaissance Group (DShRG) or "Rusich" followed the announcement by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu that his forces would withdraw from the west bank of the Dnieper River.

Russian commander Sergey Surovikin said that move would preserve the lives and combat capability of his forces. But the decision was given short shrift by Rusich, a pro-Russian right-wing group that also took part in the war in Donbas from June 2014 to July 2015.

The detachment was founded by Alexey Milchakov, who is described as a neo-Nazi. His group is thought to have a close connection to the Wagner group of mercenaries, whose founder, Evgeny Prigozhin is playing a key role in the war in Ukraine.

"The city was not destroyed even before the surrender (everything should have been blown up)" said the message by Rusich on Wednesday, which took aim at "the clowns from the Moscow Region who have not learned how to fight normally in eight months."

"For us, this is another betrayal of the Russian people, who believe less and less that 'Russia is here forever,'" Rusich said, adding, "what's the next goodwill gesture? Berdyansk or Melitopol?"

On October 19, the group had predicted on Telegram that Kherson would be surrendered.

"The hardliner vs Defence Ministry clash will escalate over Kherson," tweeted Samuel Ramani, a military analyst and associate fellow of the Royal United Services Institute, in reference to the Rusich post.

Newsweek reached out to the Russian defense ministry for comment.

It comes as Russian state television tried to make sense of another humiliating setback for Vladimir Putin, given that the southern Ukrainian city had been seized early in the war.

Without criticizing Putin or his commander directly, Kremlin propagandist Vladimir Solovyov called it a "very difficult decision" on his nightly program as he namechecked other Russian military losses in his history.

"Politically, the fact that this was a statement broadcast to the people in Russia is massive," former British intelligence officer Philip Ingram told Newsweek. "Kherson was the first city captured by the Russians in February and is a gateway to so many areas."

"However, it is likely that as Putin wasn't present for the announcement, he is setting the conditions to blame the military for the failings whilst hoping he can pull some form of military miracle out of a hat," he added.

Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelensky, have greeted the withdrawal with caution, saying in his nightly address on Wednesday, "our emotions must be restrained. The enemy does not bring us gifts."