US sees 'real problems' for Russia in Ukraine

US President Joe Biden has said Russia's determination to retreat from the Ukrainian metropolis of Kherson shows its subject has "some existent problems".

Mr Biden said helium had been expecting the determination for "some time" and that it would let some sides to "recalibrate their positions" implicit the winter.

Kherson is the lone large Ukrainian metropolis to autumn to Russian forces.

But earlier connected Wednesday, Russia's commandant successful Ukraine said it was nary longer imaginable to proviso the city.

Gen Sergei Surovikin, who was fixed bid conscionable weeks ago, made the announcement accompanied by the subject apical brass connected Russian authorities TV. He confirmed Russian troops would retreat wholly from the occidental slope of the River Dnipro.

It is simply a important stroke to Russia's subject ambitions arsenic it faces a Ukrainian counter-offensive.

Mr Biden was speaking from the White House aft midterm elections successful which his Democratic Party looked apt to suffer power of the House of Representatives to the absorption Republican Party.

The president's governmental rivals antecedently vowed to reappraisal US subject and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine, and Mr Biden observed that it was "interesting" that Moscow had "waited until aft the election" to denote the withdrawal.

But helium said helium hoped the "bipartisan attack of confronting Russia's aggression successful Ukraine" would continue.

The determination to propulsion backmost crossed the Dnipro was treated with caution by Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv was moving "very carefully" aft the announcement.

"The force does not springiness america gifts, does not marque 'goodwill gestures', we triumph it all," helium told Ukrainians successful his nightly address.

After Russia's announcement, civilians wrong Kherson said Chechen troops from the Russian subject were successful the city, successful cafes, and moving astir the streets.

And astatine a Ukrainian presumption connected the perimeter astir the city, soldiers said the force mightiness beryllium trying to gully them into a trap and were proceeding cautiously.

By Paul Adams, BBC International affairs analogous

Since October, immoderate Kherson residents loyal to Kyiv person felt alteration successful the air.

With Russian-appointed officials starting to evacuate civilians, the city's liberation seemed to beryllium getting closer.

One of the astir symbolic - and possibly telling - moments came erstwhile a Russian squad arrived astatine the city's 18th Century Cathedral of St Catherine to region the bones of Prince Grigory Potemkin, the antheral liable for colonising confederate Ukraine connected behalf of his lover, Catherine the Great.

But determination has been a mounting consciousness of dread too. If Russian forces were compelled to withdraw, what would they bash arsenic they left?

Rumours are rife: that Russia is readying to stroke up the adjacent Nova Kakhovka dam; that Russian troops person donned civilian covering and are hiding successful backstage homes; oregon that Russian artillery volition simply effort to level the metropolis from crossed the Dnipro, aft troops yet leave.

Whatever happens, this feels similar a captious moment. A metropolis seen arsenic a jewel successful the crown of Russia's concern whitethorn beryllium astir to alteration hands.

President Vladimir Putin did not instrumentality portion successful the announcement of the withdrawal.

But 2 of his large allies - antecedently captious of Russia's warfare effort - welcomed the move.

Yevgeny Prigozhin, laminitis of the Wagner mercenary radical and a long-time Putin associate, said that portion the determination was "not a victorious step" it was important "not to agonise, not to get paranoidal, but to gully conclusions and enactment connected mistakes".

Chechen person Ramzan Kadyrov - who Mr Putin picked to regularisation the autonomous republic successful 2007 - said Gen Surovikin had acted "like a existent subject general, not acrophobic of criticism".

Although the Ukrainian beforehand had slowed successful caller weeks, Russia's proviso lines crossed the Dnipro had go progressively hard aft the fewer bridges crossed were destroyed by Ukrainian missiles.

Before the withdrawal, Russia moved thousands of civilians retired of the metropolis by boat, successful what Ukraine described arsenic a deportation.