According to an article published by the BBC, Ukrainian troops say they have taken back the key town of Snihurivka, 50km to the north of Kherson. Kyiv has also claimed big pushes on two fronts near Kherson, including advances of 7km in some places.

Russia says it has started to exit the city - its top gain in the invasion - but the process could take weeks.

Ukraine's commander-in-chief, Valeriy Zaluzhny, said that he could not confirm or deny the pull-out - but that his own forces had made important advances.

General Zaluzhny said his soldiers had driven forward on two fronts on the western bank of the Dnipro river - an area of land that encompasses Kherson - taking control of 12 settlements.

Video footage showed soldiers being greeted by locals in a square, apparently after entering the town of Snihurivka.

Snihurivka sits at a major road junction and is a rail hub for the Mykolaiv region, which borders Kherson to the north and west.

The regional administration in Mykolaiv posted on the Telegram messaging app, touting "lots of good news today".

The reports come after weeks of steady advances from the Ukrainian military.

Kherson was the first - and only - regional capital to fall into Russian hands after it invaded Ukraine on 24 February.

From late September, it was viewed by the Kremlin as Russian territory - following so-called "referendums" in occupied areas of Ukraine that were widely discredited by the international community.

On Wednesday, Moscow said it was no longer possible to supply the city, saying it would step back from the western bank of the Dnipro - a river that bisects Ukraine.

Notably, Russian President Vladimir Putin did not take part in the televised announcement.

Zaluzhny said Russia was left with no option but to flee after its supply lines were destroyed and its command systems disrupted.

Jens Stoltenberg, the chief of the Nato military alliance of Western nations, said it was clear Russia was under "heavy pressure" but that it was important to see "how the situation on the ground develops".

The UK defence secretary said Russia appeared to be setting up a defensive line on the other side of the Dnipro river using concrete installations.

Commenting on the withdrawal, Ben Wallace said that "the world shouldn't be grateful for Russia handing back stolen property". 

OFM News