Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has ordered Russian forces to pull back from the city of Kherson and establish a new defense line along the Dnieper River. The minister made the decision on Wednesday following a report by Army General Sergey Surovikin, the commander of the country’s military operation in Ukraine.

One of the goals stated for the move is to assume better positions and save the lives of soldiers and civilians. Here are the key points of Surovikin’s televised speech to the top military brass on the latest developments in the conflict.