Ukraine to ‘wrap up war’ with victory over Russia by Summer 2023

Russian military leaders confirmed on Wednesday that Kremlin forces had been ordered to retreat from the city of Kherson in the face of a powerful Ukrainian counter-offensive. With the winter months drawing in, the freezing conditions have narrowed the chance of Russia advancing in Ukraine to recoup some of the territorial losses Vladimir Putin has suffered over the last few months. Both sides are expected to launch renewed offensive operations in the warmer spring months, although war studies expert Dr Mike Martin predicted that Russia would likely abandon the invasion effort altogether by summer next year.Dr Martin, a senior research fellow at King’s College London reported: ‘What we are going to see now is a bit of a pause over winter because warfare becomes much more difficult in winter – specifically the logistics.”In March or so, we’ll see a spring offensive, both sides will obviously try to do a spring offensive.’He added: ‘I think we’ll probably see the war wrapping up in late summer 2023, in Ukraine’s favour.’Dr Martin suggested Moscow’s army had been negatively impacted by a ‘complete disconnect’ at the top levels of the Kremlin as the Russian government has failed to acknowledge its shortcomings in the war. Russian troops have been forced to withdraw from Kherson (Image: GETTY) Dr Mike Martin suggested the war could conclude by summer 2023 (Image: Times Radio )Speaking to Times Radio, Dr Martin added: ‘This has been a shock to many people, but Russia is not the well-oiled military machine that we thought it was – it has been an appalling performance.’He continued: ‘The military clearly couldn’t hold that territory and now the military is pulling out. ‘I think it’s interesting that it was the military that announced the pull-out yesterday, not Putin. Putin announces annexation, the military announces pullout.’Kherson had been one of the regions in which Kremlin-installed officials conducted pseudo-referendums over Moscow’s annexation plans in a bid to create a false air of legitimacy surrounding Vladimir Putin’s invasion.Read more: Ben Wallace warns not to ‘underestimate Russia’ after Kherson retreat General Sergei Surovikin announced Russian plans to withdraw on state-controlled television (Image: GETTY) President Putin previously declared Kherson would be annexed by Russia (Image: GETTY)Russia’s commander in Ukraine General Sergei Surovikin announced plans for Moscow’s forces to retreat from the city of Kherson on state-controlled television.He declared the decision had been reached in light of supply issues and Russian forces would have to pull out entirely from the west bank of the Dnipro River.Gen Surovikin reported: ‘In these circumstances, the most sensible option is to organise the defence along a barrier line along the Dnipro River.’The drastic shift in military strategy comes just weeks after President Putin formally declared Russia would annex Kherson alongside Luhansk, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia following a series of sham referendums.Don’t miss:Fears Putin to lay waste to Kherson as US unveils staggering losses [REPORT]Russian soldier nearly thrown from moving truck as troops flee Kherson [VIDEO]Russian pundits glum as Solovyov admits Putin underestimated NATO  [REVEAL] Zelensky warned against the rush to celebrates Russia’s withdrawal (Image: GETTY)Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has cautioned against celebrating the retreat of Russian forces as he warned ‘the enemy does not bring us gifts’.In his nightly address, he said: ‘There is a lot of joy in the media space today and it is clear why, but our emotions must be restrained – always during war.’He asserted the Ukrainian forces would continue to push forward in securing the liberation of Kherson alongside all other territories occupied by Putin’s military.The UK Ministry of Defence reported that Russian troops retreating from Kherson remain ‘vulnerable’ to attack and suggested the withdrawal operation would likely take several days to complete.Read next: Ukraine cautious and will ‘separate words from deeds’ as Russia pul…Russia have restored and built new trenches in CrimeaUkrainian MP ‘couldn’t believe her eyes’ Putin’s defeat captured on video as Kherson commander announce retreatRussia set to teach schoolchildren how to assemble assault weapons