THE SQUIZ
There have been scenes of celebration in the Ukrainian city of Kherson after Russian troops withdrew over the weekend. Crowds cheered as Ukrainian soldiers re-entered the city, which was the only regional capital taken by Moscow since the invasion began in February. Kremlin officials flagged the move last week, which was initially met with scepticism that it was a trap. Russia says 30,000 military personnel have left the area, along with 5,000 pieces of military hardware and other equipment used to fight the war. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says “stabilisation measures” are now being carried out after Russian forces destroyed critical infrastructure – including communications, water, heat and electricity – and planted mines and explosives throughout the area.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
UK Defence Secretary Ben Wallace says the loss of Kherson city is a major humiliation for Russia, which could make ordinary citizens question what the war has been for. But while the withdrawal marks a win for Ukraine, officials say it’s “too early to relax”, and the war is “far from over”. Russian troops retreated across the Dnipro River to “go into deep defence” in a new stronghold in the region. Experts say it’s “highly likely” Russian troops destroyed bridges as they went, entrenching their new position. Zelensky says pro-Russian forces are putting up a fight elsewhere in the east of the country, including the Donetsk region, where he says “it is just hell”.

WHAT’S NEXT?
As we’ll get into in a sec, it’s summit season, and Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is representing his nation after President Vladimir Putin confirmed he would give it a pass, including tomorrow/Wednesday’s G20 meeting of world leaders in Bali. Overnight, PM Anthony Albanese said he directly challenged Lavrov during yesterday’s Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Cambodia where he “condemned the invasion as you would expect.” Several world leaders, including UK PM Rishi Sunak, said they wouldn’t attend the G20 meeting if Putin was present, and he says he will refuse to take part in the ‘family photo’ in protest against Russia’s presence. Experts say there’s some irony in Putin not attending because he has alienated himself from a forum that could have helped end the conflict.