Ukraine Army General Says 'Main Phase' Of War Will End This Year, Kherson 'Liberated 100%'

Kherson was the first region to fall to Moscow after it launched the invasion AFP / BULENT KILIC

KEY POINTS

Maj. Gen. Marchenko said the Ukrainian army will liberate Kherson 'quickly'
He said a referendum in Kherson would fail due to the region's pro-Ukraine residents
The Ukrainian army recently destroyed a key bridge used by Russians to supply troops

A Ukrainian army general on Wednesday said the "main phase" of the Russia-Ukraine war will likely end this year, adding that Kyiv's forces will soon recapture occupied territories.

Maj. Gen. Dmitry Marchenko said he believes the Armed Forces of Ukraine could liberate the temporarily occupied Kherson Oblast by the end of the year. He also noted that while the Ukrainian army cannot name any specific dates as to when the counteroffensive in Kherson would begin, the operation will unlikely take time.

"Kherson will be liberated 100%. That is, the liberation of Kherson and the end of the active phase of the war, and then some more local military actions will take place. But by the end of the year, we must finish the main phase of this war," Marchenko said in an interview with RBC Ukraine. "It won't be as long as everyone expects, it will be quick."

The Kremlin-installed administration in Kherson in late June said it was planning to hold a referendum on becoming "a full-fledged member" of Russia. Marchenko, however, believes the referendum will fail because Kherson residents are "pro-Ukrainian" and are "resisting" Russian control.

Marchenko ended the interview by proclaiming that Ukraine will achieve victory by spring of 2023 if the West sends the full aid package.

"I would not like to make predictions. But if we have the amount of weapons that we were promised, that we actually need, then, I think, we will celebrate victory in the spring of next year," he added.

In recent weeks, the Ukrainian army has been working towards liberating a number of settlements in Kherson Oblast. On Wednesday, Ukraine also successfully struck the Kakhovka bridge, making it "unsuitable for use," according to a report from the Kherson Oblast State Administration. The bridge is one of the Russian army's few remaining options for transporting supplies across the Dnipro river.

The Ukrainian army has also begun shelling the Antonivskyi Bridge, located just outside Kherson. The bridge was also critical in Russia's ability to send supplies to troops deployed on the Dnipro river's right bank.