Kherson liberation an important step to victory and building greener Ukraine, official says

Exclusive: Destruction of Ukraine’s industrial heartland is opportunity for country to move to ‘clean and green’ future

Liberating the strategic city of Kherson would be an important step on the path to Ukrainian victory and transforming the country into a green economy, a member of Ukraine’s official delegation to Cop27 has said.

Russia’s military said on Wednesday that it would retreat from the only Ukrainian regional capital it had captured in more than eight months of war. But there is concern in Kyiv that it could be a ruse by Moscow to attack Ukrainian troops, said Oleksii Riabchyn, who advises the government on its green transition.

Losing Kherson would deal a significant blow to Moscow, but even if it’s not the breakthrough Ukrainians hope it is, Mr Riabchyn is convinced the war is headed in the right direction.