Ukraine troops say Russian woes could preface pullback in south

Ukrainian servicemen talk at a position on a frontline, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Mykolaiv region, Ukraine October 21, 2022. REUTERS/Valentyn Ogirenko

FRONTLINE NORTH OF KHERSON, Ukraine (Reuters) - To the Ukrainian soldiers entrenched north of the Russian-held city of Kherson, a recent drop-off in Russian shellfire and armour movements signals that their foes dug into a nearby tree line are suffering serious manpower, supply and hardware woes.

That may mean the Russians are preparing to abandon their defence of the provincial capital and retreat across the Dnipro River, the soldiers said when Reuters visited their positions on Friday.